Driven  Back  to  Eden 


B 


E.  P.  ROE 


Author  of  "Carriers  TZurned 
"Opening  of  a  Chestnut  Burr,"  etc. 


New  York 

International  Association  of  Newspapers  and  Authors 
1901 


COPYRIGHT,  1885, 

Bv  DODD,  MEAD,  &  COMPANY. 


George  M.  Hill  Company 

Printers  and  Binders 

Chicago,  111. 


PS 

21X1 


PREFACE. 


TV  /TONTHS  since,  with  much  doubt  and  diffidence, 
-L*-l-  I  began  this  simple  history.  I  had  never 
before  written  expressly  for  young  people,  and  I  knew 
that  the  honest  little  critics  could  not  be  beguiled 
with  words  which  did  not  tell  an  interesting  story. 
How  far  I  have  succeeded,  the  readers  of  this  vol 
ume,  and  of  the  "  St.  Nicholas "  magazine,  wherein 
the  tale  appeared  as  a  serial,  alone  can  answer. 

I  have  portrayed  no  actual  experience,  but  have 
sought  to  present  one  which  might  be  verified  in 
real  life.  I  have  tried  to  avoid  all  that  would  be 
impossible  or  even  improDaDie.  The  labors  per 
formed  by  the  children  in  the  story  were  not  un 
known  to  my  own  hands,  in  childhood,  nor  would 
they  form  tasks  too  severe  for  many  little  hands 
now  idle  in  cities. 

The  characters  are  all  imaginary ;  the  scenes,  in 
the  main,  are  real :  and  I  would  gladly  lure  other 
families  from  tenement  flats  into  green  pastures. 

E.  P.  R. 

GOUNWALLrON-HUDSON,  AUG.  I O,  1885. 

M12483O 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 
A  PROBLEM 


CHAPTER  IL 

f  STATE  THE  CASX •          •         •         •  £ 

CHAPTER  IIL 
NEW  PROSPECTS 14 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  MOMENTOUS  EXPEDITION 18 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  COUNTRY  CHRISTMAS  IN  A  CITY  FLAT     ....       23 

CHAPTER  VL 
A  BLUFF  FRIEND  28 


CHAPTER  VIL 
MR.  JONES  SHOWS  ME  THE  PLACE  .. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TILLING  ABOUT  EDEN 


CHAPTER  IX. 
*  BREAKING  CAMP*   . 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XXXVI. 
A  THUNDERBOLT       .       . 222 

CHAPTER   XXXVII. 
RALLYING  FROM  THE  BLOW 227 

CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 
AUGUST  WOP.K  AND  PLAY  237 

CHAPTER   XXXIX. 
A  TRIP  TO  THE  SEA-SHORE 243 

CHAPTER  XL. 
A  VISIT  TO  HOUGHTON  FARM 252 

CHAPTER  XLI. 
HOARDING  FOR  WINTER 259 

CHAPTER  XLIL 
AUTUMN  WORK  AND  SPORT    .......      266 

CHAPTER   XLIII. 
THANKSGIVING  DAY 284 

CHAPTER    XLIV. 

WE  CAN   MAKE    A  LIVING   IN   EDEN  .          .          ,          ,         •        288 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER   I. 

A    PROBLEM. 

WHERE  are  the  children  ? " 
"  They  can't  be  far  away,"  replied  my  wife, 
looking  up  from  her  preparations  for  supper.  "  Bob- 
sey  was  here  a  moment  ago.  As  soon  as  my  back's 
turned  he's  out  and  away.  I  haven't  seen  Merton 
since  he  brought  his  books  from  school,  and  I  sup 
pose  Winnie  is  upstairs  with  the  Daggetts." 

"  I  wish,  my  dear,  you  could  keep  the  children  at 
home  more,"  I  said,  a  little  petulantly. 

"  I  wish  you  would  go  and  find  them  for  me  now, 
and  to-morrow  take  my  place  —  for  just  one  day." 

"Well,  well,"  I  said,  with  a  laugh  that  had  no 
mirth  in  it ;  "  only  one  of  your  wishes  stands  much 
chance  of  being  carried  out.  I'll  find  the  children 
now  if  I  can  without  the  aid  of  the  police.  Mousie, 
do  you  feel  stronger  to-night  ? " 

These  words  were  spoken  to  a  pale  girl  of  four 
teen,  who  appeared  to  be  scarcely  more  than  twelve, 
so  diminutive  was  her  frame. 


2  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"Yes,  papa,"  she  replied,  a  faint  smile  flitting  like 
a  ray  of  light  across  her  features.  She  always  said 
she  was  better,  but  never  got  well.  Her  quiet 
ways  and  tones  had  led  to  the  household  name  of 
"Mousie." 

As  I  was  descending  the  narrow  stairway  I  was 
almost  overthrown  by  a  torrent  of  children  pouring 
down  from  the  flats  above.  In  the  dim  light  of  a 
gas-burner  I  saw  that  Bobsey  was  one  of  the  reckless 
atoms.  He  had  not  heard  my  voice  in  the  uproar, 
and  before  I  could  reach  him,  he  with  the  others  had 
burst  out  at  the  street  door  and  gone  tearing  toward 
the  nearest  corner.  It  seemed  that  he  had  slipped 
away  in  order  to  take  part  in  a  race,  and  I  found  him 
"squaring  off"  at  a  bigger  boy  who  had  tripped  him 
up.  Without  a  word  I  carried  him  home,  followed 
by  the  jeers  and  laughter  of  the  racers,  the  girls 
making  their  presence  known  in  the  early  December 
twilight  by  the  shrillness  of  their  voices  and  by  man 
ners  no  gentler  than  those  of  the  boys. 

I  put  down  the  child  —  he  was  only  seven  years  of 
age  —  in  the  middle  of  our  general  living-room,  and 
looked  at  him.  His  little  coat  was  split  out  in  the 
back ;  one  of  his  stockings,  already  well-darned  at 
the  knees,  was  past  remedy ;  his  hands  were  black, 
and  one  was  bleeding ;  his  whole  little  body  was 
throbbing  from  excitement,  anger,  and  violent  exer 
cise.  As  I  looked  at  him  quietly  the  defiant  expres 
sion  in  his  eyes  began  to  give  place  to  tears. 

"There  is  no  use  in  punishing  him  now,"  said  my 
wife.  "  Please  leave  him  to  me  and  find  the  others." 

"I  wasn't  going  to  punish  him,"  I  said. 


A  PROBLEM. 


"  What  are  you  going-  to  do  ?     What  makes  you 
look  at  him  so  ?  " 

"He's  a  problem  I  can't  solve  —  with  the  given 
conditions." 

"  O  Robert,  you  drive  me  half  wild.     If  the  house 
was  on  fire  you'd  stop  to  follow  out  some  train  of 
thought  about  it  all.     I'm  tired  to  death.     Do  bring 
the  children  home.    When  we've 
put  them  to  bed  you  can  figure 
on  your  problem,  and  I  can  sit 
down." 

As  I  went  up  to  the  Dag- 
getts'  flat  I  was  dimly  conscious 
of  another  problem.  My  wife 
was  growing  fretful  and  ner 
vous.  Our  rooms  would  not 
have  satisfied  a  Dutch  house 
wife,  but  if  "  order  is  heaven's 
first  law"  a  little  of  Paradise 
was  in  them  as  compared  to  the 
Daggetts'  apartments.  "  Yes," 
I  was  told,  in  response  to  my 
inquiries ;  "  Winnie  is  in  the 
bed-room  with  Melissy." 

The  door  was  locked,  and 
after  some  hesitation  the  girls 
opened  it.  As  we  were  going 

downstairs  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  newspaper  in  my 
girl's  pocket.  She  gave  it  to  me  reluctantly,  and  said 
"  Melissy  "  had  lent  it  to  her.  I  told  her  to  help  her 
mother  prepare  supper  while  I  went  to  find  Merton. 
Opening  the  paper  under  a  street-lamp  I  found  it  to 


MELISSA   DAGGETT. 


4  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN, 

be  a  cheap,  vile  journal,  full  of  the  flashy  pictures 
that  so  often  offend  the  eye  on  news-stands.  With 
a  chill  of  fear  I  thought,  "Another  problem."  The 
Daggett  children  had  had  the  scarlet  fever  a  few 
months  before.  "  But  here's  a  worse  infection,"  I 
reflected.  "  Thank  heaven,  Winnie  is  only  a  child 
and  can't  understand  these  pictures;"  and  I  tore 
the  paper  up  and  thrust  it  into  its  proper  place,  the 
gutter. 

"  Now,"  I  muttered,  "  I've  only  to  find  Merton 
in  mischief  to  make  the  evening's  experience  com 
plete." 

In  mischief  I  did  find  him,  —  a  very  harmful  kind 
of  mischief,  it  appeared  to  me.  Merton  was  little 
over  fifteen,  and  he  and  two  or  three  other  lads  were 
smoking  cigarettes  which,  to  judge  by  their  odor, 
must  certainly  have  been  made  from  the  sweepings 
of  the  manufacturer's  floor. 

"  Can't  you  find  anything  better  than  that  to  do 
after  school  ? "  I  asked,  severely. 

"Well,  sir,"  was  the  sullen  reply,  "I'd  like  to 
know  what  there  is  'for  a  boy  to  do  in  this  street." 

During  the  walk  home  I  tried  to  think  of  an 
answer  to  his  implied  question.  What  would  I  do 
if  I  were  in  Merton's  place  ?  I  confess  that  I  was 
puzzled.  After  sitting  in  school  all  day  he  must 
do  something  that  the  police  would  permit.  There 
certainly  seemed  very  little  range  of  action  for  a 
growing  boy.  Should  I  take  him  out  of  school  and 
put  him  into  a  shop  or  an  office  ?  If  I  did  this  his 
education  would  be  sadly  limited.  Moreover  he  was 
tall  and  slender  for  his  age,  and  upon  his  face  there 


A   PROBLEM.  5 

was  a  pallor  which  I  dislike  to  see  in  a  boy.  Long 
hours  of  business  would  be  very  hard  upon  him,  even 
if  he  could  endure  the  strain  at  all.  The  problem 
which  had  been  pressing  on  me  for  months  —  almost 
years  —  grew  urgent. 

With  clouded  brows  we  sat  down  to  our  modest 
little  supper.  Winifred,  my  wife,  was  hot  and 
flushed  from  too  near  acquaintance  with  the  stove, 
and  wearied  by  a  long  day  of  toil  in  a  room  that 
would  be  the  better  for  a  gale  of  wind.  Bobsey,  as 
we  called  my  little  namesake,  was  absorbed  —  now 
that  he  was  relieved  from  the  fear  of  punishment  — 
by  the  wish  to  "punch"  the  boy  who  had  tripped 
him  up.  Winnie  was  watching  me  furtively,  and 
wondering  what  had  become  of  the  paper,  and  what 
I  thought  of  it.  Merton  was  somewhat  sullen,  and 
a  little  ashamed  of  himself.  I  felt  that  my  problem 
was  to  give  these  children  something  to  do  that 
would  not  harm  them,  for  do  something  they  cer 
tainly  would.  They  were  rapidly  attaining  that  age 
when  the  shelter  of  a  narrow  city  flat  would  not 
answer,  when  the  influence  of  a  crowded  house  and 
of  the  street  might  be  greater  than  any  we  could 
bring  to  bear  upon  them. 

I  looked  around  upon  the  little  group  for  whom  I 
was  responsible.  My  will  was  still  law  to  them. 
While  my  wife  had  positive  little  ways  of  her  own, 
she  would  agree  to  any  decided  course  that  I  re 
solved  upon.  The  children  were  yet  under  entire 
control,  so  that  I  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table,  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  little  band.  We  called  tho 
narrow  flat  we  lived  in  "home."  The  idea!  with  the 


6  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN 

Daggetts  above  and  the  Ricketts  on  the  floor  be 
neath.  It  was  not  a  home,  and  was  scarcely  a  fit 
camping-ground  for  such  a  family  squad  as  ours. 
Yet  we  had  stayed  on  for  years  in  this  long,  narrow 
line  of  rooms,  reaching  from  a  crowded  street  to  a 
little  back-yard  full  of  noisy  children  by  day,  and 
noisier  cats  by  night.  I  had  often  thought  of  mov 
ing,  but  had  failed  to  find  a  better  shelter  that  was 
within  my  very  limited  means.  The  neighborhood 
was  respectable,  so  far  as  a  densely  populated  region 
can  be.  It  was  not  very  distant  from  my  place  of 
business,  and  my  work  often  kept  me  so  late  at  the 
office  that  we  could  not  live  in  a  suburb.  The  rent 
was  moderate  for  New  York,  and  left  me  some 
money,  after  food  and  clothing  were  provided,  for 
occasional  little  outings  and  pleasures,  which  I  be 
lieve  to  be  needed  by  both  body  and  mind.  While 
the  children  were  little  —  so  long  as  they  would 
"stay  put"  in  the  cradle  or  on  the  floor  —  we  did 
not  have  much  trouble.  Fortunately  I  had  good 
health,  and,  as  my  wife  said,  was  "  handy  with  chil 
dren."  Therefore  I  could  help  her  in  the  care  of 
them  at  night,  and  she  had  kept  much  of  her  youth 
ful  bloom.  Heaven  had  blessed  us.  We  had  met 
with  no  serious  misfortunes,  nor  had  any  of  our 
number  been  often  prostrated  by  prolonged  and 
dangerous  illness.  But  during  the  last  year  my  wife 
had  been  growing  thin,  and  occasionally  her  voice 
had  a  sharpness  which  was  new.  Every  month 
Bobsey  became  more  hard  to  manage.  Our  living- 
room  was  to  him  like  a  cage  to  a  wild  bird,  and  slip 
away  he  would,  to  his  mother's  alarm  ;  for  he  was 


A  PROBLEM.  7 

almost  certain  to  get  into  mischief  or  trouble.  The 
effort  to  perform  her  household  tasks  and  watch 
over  him  was  more  wearing  than  it  had  been  to  rock 
him  through  long  hours  at  night  when  he  was  a 
teething  baby.  These  details  seem  very  homely  no 
cioubt,  yet  such  as  these  largely  make  up  our  lives. 
Comfort  or  discomfort,  happiness  or  unhappiness, 
springs  from  them.  There  is  no  crop  in  the  country 
so  important  as  that  of  boys  and  girls.  How  could  I 
manage  my  little  home-garden  in  a  flat  ? 

I  looked  thoughtfully  from  one  to  another,  as  with 
children's  appetites  they  became  absorbed  in  one  of 
the  chief  events  of  the  dayc 

"Well,"  said  my  wife,  querulously,  "how  are  you 
getting  on  with  your  problem  ? " 

"Take  this  extra  bit  of  steak  and  I'll  tell  you  after 
the  children  are  asleep,"  I  said. 

"I  can't  eat  another  mouthful,"  she  exclaimed, 
pushing  back  her  almost  untasted  supper.  "Broil 
ing  the  steak  was  enough  for  me." 

"You  are  quite  tired  out,  dear,"  I  said,  very 
gently. 

Her  face  softened  immediately  at  my  tone,  and 
tears  came  into  her  eyes. 

"  I  don't  know  what  is  the  matter  with  me,"  she 
faltered.  "  I  am  so  nervous  some  days  that  I  feel  as 
if  I  should  fly  to  pieces.  I  do  try  to  be  patient,  but 
I  know  I'm  growing  cross." 

"  Oh  now,  mamma,"  spoke  up  warm-hearted  Mer- 
ton  ;  "  the  idea  of  your  being  cross  !  " 

"  She  is  cross,"  Bobsey  cried ;  "she  boxed  my  ears 
this  very  day." 


8  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"And  you  deserved  it,"  was  Merton's  retort. 
"It's  a  pity  they  are  not  boxed  oftener." 

"  Yes,  Robert,  I  did,"  continued  my  wife,  sorrow 
fully.  "  Bobsey  ran  away  four  times,  and  vexed  me 
beyond  endurance,  that  is,  such  endurance  as  I  have 
left,  which  doesn't  seem  to  be  very  much." 

"  I  understand,  dear,"  I  said.  "  You  are  a  part  of 
my  problem,  and  you  must  help  me  solve  it."  Then 
I  changed  the  subject  decidedly,  and  soon  brought 
sunshine  to  our  clouded  household.  Children's  minds 
are  easily  diverted ;  and  my  wife,  whom  a  few  sharp 
words  would  have  greatly  irritated,  was  soothed,  and 
her  curiosity  awakened  as  to  the  subject  of  my 
thoughts. 


/  STATE    THE   CASE. 


CHAPTER   II. 

I   STATE  THE    CASE. 

T  PONDERED  deeply  while  my  wife  and  Winnie 
JL  cleared  away  the  dishes  and  put  Bobsey  into  his 
little  crib.  I  felt  that  the  time  for  a  decided  change 
had  come,  and  that  it  should  be  made  before  the 
evils  of  our  lot  brought  sharp  and  real  trouble. 

How  should  I  care  for  my  household  ?  If  I  had 
been  living  on  a  far  frontier  among  hostile  Indians 
I  should  have  known  better  how  to  protect  them.  I 
could  build  a  house  of  heavy  logs  and  keep  my  wife 
and  children  always  near  me  while  at  work.  But  it 
seemed  to  me  that  Melissa  Daggett  and  her  kin  with 
their  flashy  papers,  and  the  influence  of  the  street  for 
Merton  and  Bobsey,  involved  more  danger  to  my 
little  band  than  all  the  scalping  Modocs  that  ever 
whooped.  The  children  could  not  step  outside  the 
door  without  danger  of  meeting  some  one  who  would 
do  them  harm.  It  is  the  curse  of  crowded  city  life 
that  there  is  so  little  of  a  natural  and  attractive  sort 
for  a  child  to  do,  and  so  much  of  evil  close  at  hand. 

My  wife  asked  me  humorously  for  the  news.  She 
saw  that  I  was  not  reading  my  paper,  and  my  frown 
ing  brow  and  firm  lips  proved  that  my  problem  was 


IO  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

not  of  a  trifling  nature.  She  suspected  nothing  more, 
however,  than  that  I  was  thinking  of  taking  rooms 
in  some  better  locality,  and  she  was  wondering  how 
I  could  do  it,  for  she  knew  that  my  income  now  left 
but  a  small  surplus  above  expenses. 

At  last  Winnie  too  was  ready  to  go  to  bed,  and  I 
said  to  her,  gravely :  "  Here  is  money  to  pay  Melissa 
for  that  paper.  It  was  only  fit  for  the  gutter,  and 
into  the  gutter  I  put  it.  I  wish  you  to  promise  me 
never  to  look  at  such  pictures  again,  or  you  can  never 
hope  to  grow  up  to  be  a  lady  like  mamma." 

The  child  flushed  deeply,  and  went  tearful  and 
penitent  to  bed.  Mousie  also  retired  with  a  wistful 
look  upon  her  face,  for  she  saw  that  something  of 
grave  importance  occupied  my  mind. 

No  matter  how  tired  my  wife  might  be,  she  was 
never  satisfied  to  sit  down  until  the  room  had  been 
put  in  order,  a  green  cloth  spread  upon  the  supper- 
table  and  the  student-lamp  placed  in  its  centre. 

Merton  brought  his  school-books,  my  wife  took  up 
her  mending,  and  we  three  sat  down  within  the  cir 
cle  of  light. 

"Don't  do  any  more  work  to-night,"  I  said,  look 
ing  into  my  wife's  face,  and  noting  for  a  few  moments 
that  it  was  losing  its  rounded  lines. 

Her  hands  dropped  wearily  into  her  lap,  and  she 
began,  gratefully  :  "  I'm  glad  you  speak  so  kindly  to 
night,  Robert,  for  I  am  so  nervous  and  out  of  sorts 
that  I  couldn't  have  stood  one  bit  of  fault-finding,  — 
I  should  have  said  things,  and  then  have  been  sorry 
all  day  to-morrow.  Dear  knows,  each  day  brings 
enough  without  carrying  anything  over.  Come, 


/  STA  TE    THE  CASE.  '  1 1 


read  the  paper  to  me,  or  tell  me  what  you  have  been 
thinking  about  so  deeply,  if  you  don't  mind  Merton's 
hearing  you.  I  wish  to  forget  myself,  and  work,  and 
everything  that  worries  me,  for  a  little  while." 

"  I'll  read  the  paper  first,  and  then,  after  Merton 
has  learned  his  lessons,  I  will  tell  you  my  thoughts  — 
my  purpose,  I  may  almost  say.  Merton  shall  know 
about  it  soon,  for  he  is  becoming  old  enough  to  under 
stand  the  'why'  of  things.  I  hope,  my  boy,  that 
your  teacher  lays  a  good  deal  of  stress  on  the  why  in 
all  your  studies." 

"Oh,  yes,  after  a  fashion." 

"Well,  so  far  as  I  am  your  teacher,  Merton,  I  wish 
you  always  to  think  why  you  should  do  a  thing  or 
why  you  shouldn't,  and  to  try  not  to  be  satisfied  with 
any  reason  but  a  good  one." 

Then  I  gleaned  from  the  paper  such  items  as  I 
thought  would  interest  my  wife.  At  last  we  were 
alone,  with  no  sound  in  the  room  but  the  low  roar 
of  the  city,  a  roar  so  deep  as  to  make  one  think  that 
the  tides  of  life  were  breaking  waves. 

I  was  doing  some  figuring  in  a  note-book  when  my 
wife  asked  :  "  Robert,  what  is  your  problem  to-night  ? 
And  what  part  have  I  in  it  ? " 

"  So  important  a  part  that  I  couldn't  solve  it  with 
out  you,"  I  replied,  smiling  at  her. 

"Oh,  come  now,"  she  said,  laughing  slightly  for 
the  first  time  in  the  evening ;  "  you  always  begin  to 
flatter  a  little  when  you  want  to  carry  a  point." 

"Well,  then,  you  are  on  your  guard  against  my 
wiles.  But  believe  me,  Winifred,  the  problem  on 
my  mind  is  not  like  one  of  my  ordinary  brown 


12  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  ED  EAT. 

studies ;  in  those  I  often  try  to  get  back  to  the 
wherefore  of  things  which  people  usually  accept  and 
don't  bother  about.  The  question  I  am  considering 
comes  right  home  to  us,  and  we  must  meet  it.  I  have 
felt  for  some  time  that  we  could  not  put  off  action 
much  longer,  and  to-night  I  am  convinced  of  it." 

Then  I  told  her  how  I  had  found  three  of  the  chil 
dren  engaged  that  evening,  concluding :  "  The  cir 
cumstances  of  their  lot  are  more  to  blame  than  they 
themselves.  And  why  should  I  find  fault  with  you 
because  you  are  nervous  ?  You  could  no  more  help 
being  nervous  and  a  little  impatient  than  you  could 
prevent  the  heat  of  the  lamp  from  burning  you, 
should  you  place  your  finger  over  it.  I  know  the 
cause  of  it  all.  As  for  Mousie,  she  is  growing  paler 
and  thinner  every  day.  You  know  what  my  income 
is ;  we  could  not  change  things  much  for  the  better 
by  taking  other  rooms  and  moving  to  another  part 
of  the  city,  and  we  might  find  that  we  had  changed 
for  the  worse.  I  propose  that  we  go  to  the  country 
and  get  our  living  out  of  the  soil." 

"  Why,  Robert !  what  do  you  know  about  farming 
or  gardening?" 

"Not  very  much,  but  I  am  not  yet  too  old  to 
learn,  and  there  would  be  something  for  the  children 
to  do  at  once,  pure  air  for  them  to  breathe,  and 
space  for  them  to  grow  healthfully  in  body,  mind, 
and  soul.  You  know  I  have  but  little  money  laid 
by,  and  am  not  one  of  those  smart  men  who  can 
push  their  way.  I  don't  know  much  besides  book 
keeping,  and  my  employers  think  I  am  not  remark 
ably  quick  at  that.  I  can't  seem  !o  acquire  the 


/  STATE    THE   CASE.  13 

lightning  speed  with  which  things  are  done  nowa 
days  ;  and  while  I  try  to  make  up  by  long  hours  and 
honesty,  I  don't  believe  I  could  ever  earn  much 
more  than  I  am  getting  now,  and  you  know  it  doesn't 
leave  much  of  a  margin  for  sickness  or  misfortune  of 
any  kind.  After  all,  what  does  my  salary  give  us 
but  food  and  clothing  and  shelter,  such  as  it  is,  with 
a  little  to  spare  in  some  years  ?  It  sends  a  cold  chill 
to  my  heart  to  think  what  would  become  of  you  and 
the  children  if  I  should  be  sick  or  anything  should 
happen  to  me.  Still,  it  is  the  present  welfare  of  the 
children  that  weighs  most  on  my  mind,  Winifred. 
They  are  no  longer  little  things  that  you  can  keep 
in  these  rooms  and  watch  over  ;  there  is  danger  for 
them  just  outside  that  door.  It  wouldn't  be  so  if 
beyond  the  door  lay  a  garden  and  fields  and  woods. 
You,  my  overtaxed  wife,  wouldn't  worry  about  them 
the  moment  they  were  out  of  sight,  and  my  work, 
instead  of  being  away  from  them  all  day,  could  be 
with  them.  All  could  do  something,  even  down  to 
pale  Mousie  and  little  Bobsey.  Outdoor  life  and 
pure  air,  instead  of  that  breathed  over  and  over, 
would  bring  quiet  to  your  nerves  and  the  roses  back 
to  your  cheeks.  The  children  would  grow  sturdy 
and  strong ;  much  of  their  work  would  be  like  play 
to  them ;  they  wouldn't  be  always  in  contact  with 
other  children  that  we  know  nothing  about.  I  am 
aware  that  the  country  isn't  Eden,  as  we  have  im 
agined  it,  —  for  I  lived  there  as  a  boy,  —  but  it 
seems  like  Eden  compared  to  this  place  and  its  sur 
roundings  ;  and  I  feel  as  if  I  were  being  driven  back 
to  it  by  circumstances  I  can't  control.11 


DRIVEN  BACK   TO   & 


CHAPTER   III. 

NEW    PROSPECTS. 

r  I  "'HERE  is  no  need  of  dwelling  further  on  the 
-L  reasons  for  and  against  the  step  we  proposed. 
We  thought  a  great  deal  and  talked  it  over  several 
times.  Finally  my  wife  agreed  that  the  change 
would  be  wise  and  best  for  all.  Then  the  children 
were  taken  into  our  confidence,  and  they  became 
more  delighted  every  day  as  the  prospect  grew 
clearer  to  them. 

" We'll  all  be  good  soon,  won't  we?"  said  my 
youngest,  who  had  a  rather  vivid  sense  of  his  own 
shortcomings,  and  kept  them  in  the  minds  of  others 
as  well. 

"Why  so,  Bobsey?" 

"'Cause  mamma  says  God  put  the  first  people  in  a 
garden  and  they  was  very  good,  better'n  any  folks 
afterwards.  God  oughter  know  the  best  place  for 
people." 

Thus  Bobsey  gave  a  kind  of  divine  sanction  to 
our  project.  Of  course  we  had  not  taken  so  impor 
tant  a  step  without  asking  the  Great  Father  of  all  to 
guide  us ;  for  we  felt  that  in  the  mystery  of  life  we 
too  were  but  little  children  who  knew  not  what 


NEW  PROSPECTS.  15 

should  be  on  the  morrow,  or  how  best  to  provide  for 
it  with  any  certainty.  To  our  sanguine  minds  there 
was  in  Bobsey's  words  a  hint  of  something  more 
than  permission  to  go  up  out  of  Egypt. 

So  it  was  settled  that  we  should  leave  our  narrow- 
suite  of  rooms,  the  Daggetts  and  Ricketts,  and  go  to 
the  country.  To  me  naturally  fell  the  task  of  find 
ing  the  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  to  which 
we  should  journey  in  the  spring.  Meantime  we 
were  already  emigrants  at  heart,  full  of  the  bustle 
and  excitement  of  mental  preparation. 

I  prided  myself  somewhat  on  my  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  which,  in  regard  to  children,  con 
formed  to  comparatively  simple  laws.  I  knew  that 
the  change  would  involve  plenty  of  hard  work,  self- 
denial,  and  careful  managing,  which  nothing  could 
redeem  from  prose ;  but  I  aimed  to  add  to  our 
exodus,  so  far  as  possible,  the  elements  of  adventure 
and  mystery  so  dear  to  the  hearts  of  children.  The 
question  where  we  should  go  was  the  cause  of  much 
discussion,  the  studying  of  maps,  and  the  learning  of 
not  a  little  geography. 

Merton's  counsel  was  that  we  should  seek  a  region 
abounding  in  Indians,  bears,  and  "such  big  game." 
His  advice  made  clear  the  nature  of  some  of  his 
recent  reading.  He  proved,  however,  that  he  was 
not  wanting  in  sense  by  his  readiness  to  give  up 
these  attractive  features  in  the  choice  of  locality. 

Mousie's  soft  black  eyes  always  lighted  up  at  the 
prospect  of  a  flower-garden  that  should  be  as  big  as 
our  sitting-room.  Even  in  our  city  apartments,  poi 
soned  by  gas  and  devoid  of  sunlight,  she  usually 


NEW  PROSPECTS.  \J 

managed  to  keep  a  little  house-plant  in  bloom,  and 
the  thought  of  placing  seeds  in  the  open  ground, 
where,  as  she  said,  "  the  roots  could  go  down  to  China 
if  they  wanted  to,"  brought  the  first  color  I  had  seen 
in  her  face  for  many  a  day. 

Winnie  was  our  strongest  child,  and  also  the  one 
who  gave  me  the  most  anxiety.  Impulsive,  warm 
hearted,  restless,  she  always  made  me  think  of  an 
overfull  fountain.  Her  alert  black  eyes  were  as 
eager  to  see  as  was  her  inquisitive  mind  to  pry  into 
everything.  She  was  sturdily  built  for  a  girl,  and 
one  of  the  severest  punishments  we  could  inflict  was 
to  place  her  in  a  chair  and  tell  her  not  to  move  for 
an  hour.  We  were  beginning  to  learn  that  we  could 
no  more  keep  her  in  our  sitting-room  than  we  could 
restrain  a  mountain  brook  that  foams  into  a  rocky 
basin  only  to  foam  out  again.  Melissa  Daggett  was 
of  a  very  different  type,  —  I  could  never  see  her  with 
out  the  word  "  sly  "  coming  into  my  mind,  —  and  her 
small  mysteries  awakened  Winnie's  curiosity.  Now 
that  the  latter  was  promised  chickens,  and  rambles 
in  the  woods,  Melissa  and  her  secrets  became  insig 
nificant,  and  a  ready  promise  to  keep  aloof  from  her 
was  given. 

As  for  Bobsey,  he  should  have  a  pig  which  he 
could  name  and  call  his  own,  and  for  which  he  might 
pull  weeds  and  pick  up  apples.  We  soon  found  that 
he  was  communing  with  that  phantom  pig  in  his 
dreams. 


IS  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

A    MOMENTOUS    EXPEDITION. 

BY  the  time  Christmas  week  began  we  all  had 
agreed  to  do  without  candy,  toys,  and  knick- 
knacks,  and  to  buy  books  that  would  tell  us  how  to 
live  in  the  country.  One  happy  evening  we  had  an 
early  supper  and  all  went  to  a  well-known  agricul 
tural  store  and  publishing-house  on  Broadway,  each 
child  almost  awed  by  the  fact  that  I  had  fifteen  dol 
lars  in  my  pocket  which  should  be  spent  that  very 
night  in  the  purchase  of  books  and  papers.  To  the 
children  the  shop  seemed  like  a  place  where  tickets 
direct  to  Eden  were  obtained,  while  the  colored  pic 
tures  of  fruits  and  vegetables  could  portray  the  prod 
ucts  of  Eden  only,  so  different  were  they  in  size  and 
beauty  from  the  specimens  appearing  in  our  market 
stalls.  Stuffed  birds  and  animals  were  also  on  the 
shelves,  and  no  epicure  ever  enjoyed  the  gamy  flavor 
as  we  did.  But  when  we  came  to  examine  the  books, 
their  plates  exhibiting  almost  every  phase  of  country 
work  and  production,  we  felt  that  a  long  vista  lead 
ing  toward  our  unknown  home  was  opening  before 
us,  illumined  by  alluring  pictures.  To  Winnie  was 
given  a  book  on  poultry,  and  the  cuts  representing 


2O  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

the  various  birds  were  even  more  to  her  taste  than 
cuts  from  the  fowls  themselves  at  a  Christmas 
dinner.  The  Nimrod  instincts  of  the  race  were 
awakened  in  Merton,  and  I  soon  found  that  he  had 
set  his  heart  on  a  book  that  gave  an  account  of  game, 
fish,  birds,  and  mammals.  It  was  a  natural  and  whole 
some  longing.  I  myself  had  felt  it  keenly  when  a 
boy.  Such  country  sport  would  bring  sturdiness  to 
his  limbs  and  the  right  kind  of  color  into  his  face. 

"All  right,  Merton,"  I  said:  "you  shall  have  the 
book  and  a  breech-loading  shot-gun  also.  As  for 
fishing-tackle,  you  can  get  along  with  a  pole  cut  from 
the  woods  until  you  have  earned  money  enough  your 
self  to  buy  what  you  need." 

The  boy  was  almost  overwhelmed.  He  came  to 
me,  and  took  my  hand  in  both  his  own. 

"  O  papa,"  he  faltered,  and  his  eyes  were  moist, 
"  did  you  say  a  gun  ? " 

"  Yes,  a  breech-loading  shot-gun  on  one  condition, 
—  that  you'll  not  smoke  till  after  you  are  twenty-one 
A  growing  boy  can't  smoke  in  safety." 

He  gave  my  hand  a  quick,  strong  pressure,  and 
was  immediately  at  the  farther  end  of  the  store, 
blowing  his  nose  suspiciously.  I  chuckled  to  myself  : 
"I  want  no  better  promise.  A  gun  will  cure  him 
of  cigarettes  better  than  a  tract  would." 

Mousie  was  quiet,  as  usual ;  but  there  was  again  a 
faint  color  in  her  cheeks,  a  soft  lustre  in  her  eyes. 
I  kept  near  my  invalid  child  most  of  the  time,  for 
fear  that  she  would  go  beyond  her  strength.  I  made 
her  sit  by  a  table,  and  brought  the  books  that  would 
interest  her  most.  Her  sweet,  thin  face  was  a  study, 


A   MOMENTOUS  EXPEDITION".  21 

and  I  felt  that  she  was  already  enjoying  the  healing 
caresses  of  Mother  Nature.  When  we  started  home 
ward  she  carried  a  book  about  flowers  next  to  her 
heart. 

Bobsey  taxed  his  mother's  patience  and  agility,  for 
he  seemed  all  over  the  store  at  the  same  moment, 
and  wanted  everything  in  it,  being  sure  that  fifteen 
dollars  would  buy  all  and  leave  a  handsome  margin ; 
but  at  last  he  was  content  with  a  book  illustrated 
from  beginning  to  end  with  pigs. 

What  pleased  me  most  was  to  see  how  my  wife 
enjoyed  our  little  outing.  Wrapped  up  in  the  chil 
dren,  she  reflected  their  joy  in  her  face,  and  looked 
almost  girlish  in  her  happiness.  I  whispered  in  her 
ear,  "your  present  shall  be  the  home  itself,  for  I 
shall  have  the  deed  made  out  in  your  name,  and 
then  you  can  turn  me  out-of-doors  as  often  as  you 
please." 

"  Which  will  be  every  pleasant  day  after  break 
fast,"  she  said,  laughing.  "  You  know  you  are  very 
safe  in  giving  things  to  me." 

"Yes,  Winifred,"  I  replied,  pressing  her  hand  on 
the  sly ;  "  I  have  been  finding  that  out  ever  since  I 
gave  myself  to  you." 

I  bought  Hendei son's  "Gardening  for  Profit  "  and 
some  other  practical  books.  I  also  subscribed  for  a 
journal  devoted  to  rural  interests  and  giving  simple 
directions  for  the  work  of  each  month.  At  last  we 
returned.  Never  did  a  jollier  little  procession  march 
up  Broadway.  People  were  going  to  the  opera  and 
evening  companies,  and  carriages  rolled  by  filled 
with  elegantly  dressed  ladies  and  gentlemen ;  but 


22  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

my  wife  remarked,  "  None  of  those  people  are  so 
happy  as  we  are,  trudging  in  this  roundabout  way 
to  our  country  home." 

Her  words  suggested  our  course  of  action  during 
the  months  which  must  intervene  before  it  would  be 
safe  or  wise  for  us  to  leave  the  city.  Our  thoughts, 
words,  and  actions  were  all  a  roundabout  means  to 
our  cherished  end,  and  yet  the  most  direct  way  that 
we  could  take  under  the  circumstances.  Field  and 
garden  were  covered  with  snow,  the  ground  was 
granite-like  from  frost,  and  winter's  cold  breath 
chilled  our  impatience  to  be  gone  ;  but  so  far  as 
possible  we  lived  in  a  country  atmosphere,  and 
amused  ourselves  by  trying  to  conform  to  country 
ways  m  a  city  flat.  Even  Winnie  declared  she 
heard  the  cocks  crowing  at  dawn,  while  Bobsey  had 
a  different  kind  of  grunt  or  squeal  for  every  pig  in 
his  book, 


4.   COUNTRY  CHRISTMAS  IN  A   CITY  FLAT. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A   COUNTRY   CHRISTMAS   IN   A   CITY  FLAT. 

ON  Christmas  morning  we  all  brought  out  our 
purchases  and  arranged  them  on  a  table.  Mer- 
ton  was  almost  wild  when  he  found  a  bright  single 
barrelled  gun  with  accoutrements  standing  in  the 
corner.  Even  Mousie  exclaimed  with  delight  at  the 
bright-colored  papers  of  flower-seeds  on  her  plate. 
To  Winnie  were  given  half  a  dozen  china  eggs  with 
which  to  lure  the  prospective  biddies  to  lay  in  nests 
easily  reached,  and  she  tried  to  cackle  over  them  in 
absurd  imitation.  Little  Bobsey  had  to  have  some 
toys  and  candy,  but  they  all  presented  to  his  eyes 
the  natural  inmates  of  the  barn-yard.  In  the  num 
ber  of  domestic  animals  he  swallowed  that  day  he 
equalled  the  little  boy  in  Hawthorne's  story  of  "The 
House  of  the  Seven  Gables,"  who  devoured  a  ginger 
bread  caravan  of  camels  and  elephants  purchased  at 
Miss  Hepzibah  Pyncheon's  shop. 

Our  Christmas  dinner  consisted  almost  wholly  of 
such  vegetables  as  we  proposed  to  raise  in  the  coming 
summer.  Never  before  were  such  connoisseurs  of 
carrots,  beets,  onions,  parsnips,  and  so  on,  through 
almost  the  entire  list  of  such  winter  stock  as  was  to 


24  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

be  obtained  at  our  nearest  green-grocery.  We  cele 
brated  the  day  by  nearly  a  dozen  dishes  which  the 
children  aided  my  wife  in  preparing. 


THE  CHRISTMAS  TABLE. 

Merton  figure  the  cost  of 
each,  and  we  were  sur 
prised  at  the  cheapness 
of  much  of  country  fare, 
even  when  retailed  in 
very  small  quantities. 

This  brought  up  an- 
other  phase  of  the  prob 
lem.  In  many  respects 
I  was  like  the  children, 
having  almost  as  much 
to  learn  as  they,— with 
the  advantage,  however, 
of  being  able  to  correct 


A   COUNTRY  CHRISTMAS  IN  A   CITY  FLAT.     2$ 

kitchen  vegetables  cost  comparatively  little,  even 
though  (having  in  our  flat  no  good  place  for  storage) 
we  had  found  it  better  to  buy  what  we  needed  from 
day  to  day.  It  was  therefore  certain  that,  at  whole 
sale  in  the  country,  they  would  often  be  exceedingly 
cheap.  This  fact  would  work  both  ways :  little 
money  would  purchase  much  food  of  certain  kinds, 
and  if  we  produced  these  articles  of  food  they  would 
bring  us  little  money. 

I  will  pass  briefly  over  the  period  that  elapsed  be 
fore  it  was  time  for  us  to  depart,  assured  that  the 
little  people  who  are  following  this  simple  history 
are  as  eager  to  get  away  from  the  dusty  city  flat  to 
the  sunlight,  breezy  fields,  brooks,  and  woods  as  were 
the  children  in  my  story.  It  is  enough  to  say  that, 
during  all  my  waking  hours  not  devoted  to  business, 
I  read,  thought,  and  studied  on  the  problem  of  sup 
porting  my  family  in  the  country.  I  haunted  Wash 
ington  Market  in  the  gray  dawn,  and  learned  from 
much  inquiry  what  products  found  a  ready  and  cer 
tain  sale  at  some  price,  and  what  appeared  to  yield 
to  the  grower  the  best  profits.  There  was  much 
conflict  of  opinion,  but  I  noted  down  and  averaged 
the  statements  made  to  me.  Many  of  the  market- 
men  had  hobbies,  and  told  me  how  to  make  a  for 
tune  out  of  one  or  two  articles ;  more  gave  careless, 
random,  or  ignorant  answers ;  but  here  and  there 
was  a  plain,  honest,  sensible  fellow  who  showed  me 
from  his  books  what  plain,  honest,  sensible  producers 
in  the  country  were  doing.  In  a  few  weeks  I  dis 
missed  finally  the  tendency  to  one  blunder.  A 
novice  hears  or  read.s  of  an.  acre  of  cabbages  or 


26  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  ED  EM 

strawberries  producing  so  much.  Then  he  figures, 
"if  one  acre  yields  so  much,  two  acres  will  give 
twice  as  much,"  and  so  on.  The  experience  of  others 
showed  me  the  utter  folly  of  all  this ;  and  I  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  I  could  give  my  family  shelter, 
plain  food,  pure  air,  wholesome  work  and  plav  in 
plenty,  and  that  not  very  soon  could  I  provide  much 
else  with  certainty.  I  tried  to  stick  closely  to  com- 
mon-sense ;  and  the  humble  circumstances  of  the 
vast  majority  living  from  the  soil  proved  that  there 
was  in  these  pursuits  no  easy  or  speedy  road  to  for 
tune.  Therefore  we  must  part  reluctantly  with 
every  penny,  and  let  a  dollar  go  for  only  the  essen 
tials  to  the  modest  success  now  accepted  as  all  we 
could  naturally  expect.  We  had  explored  the  settled 
States,  and  even  the  Territories,  in  fancy ;  we  had 
talked  over  nearly  every  industry  from  cotton  and 
sugar-cane  planting  to  a  sheep-ranch.  I  encouraged 
all  this,  for  it  was  so  much  education  out  of  school- 
hours  ;  yet  all,  even  Merton,  eventually  agreed  with 
me  that  we  had  better  not  go  far  away,  but  seek  a 
place  near  schools,  markets,  churches,  and  well  in 
side  of  civilization. 

"  See  here,  youngsters,  you  forget  the  most  impor 
tant  crop  of  all  that  I  must  cultivate,"  I  said  one 
evening. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  they  cried  in  chorus. 

"  A  crop  of  boys  and  girls.  You  may  think  that 
my  mind  is  chiefly  on  corn  and  potatoes.  Not  at  all. 
It  is  chiefly  on  you  ;  and  for  your  sakes  mamma  and 
I  decided  to  go  to  the  country." 


A    COUNTRY  CHRISTMAS  IN  A    CITY  FLAT.      2? 

At  last,  in  reply  to  my  inquiries  and  my  answers 
to  advertisements,  I  received  the  following  letter  : — > 


ifr  JL  .  fad  .^^ 

*  /V^c  ^iffi 

V?K   /*    '  /FT/*** 

fiJHftf        p^^ 


I  had  been  to  see  two  or  three  places  that  had 
been  "  cracked  up  "  so  highly  that  my  wife  thought 
it  would  be  better  to  close  a  bargain  at  once  before 
some  one  else  secured  the  prize,  —  and  I  had  come 
back  disgusted  in  each  instance. 

"The  soul  of  wit"  was  in  John  Jones's  letter. 
There  was  also  a  downright  directness  which  hit  the 
mark,  and  I  wrote  that  I  would  go  to  Maizeville  in 
the  course  of  the  following  week. 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  ED  EM 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A    BLUFF    FRIEND. 

'T*HE  almanac  had  announced  spring;  nature 
JL  appeared  quite  unaware  of  the  fact,  but,  so  far 
as  we  were  concerned,  the  almanac  was  right.  Spring 
was  the  era  of  hope,  of  change,  and  hope  was  grow 
ing  in  our  hearts  like  "Jack's  bean,"  in  spite  of 
lowering  wintry  skies.  We  were  as  eager  as  rob 
ins,  sojourning  in  the  south,  to  take  our  flight  north- 
ward. 

My  duties  to  my  employers  had  ceased  on  the  ist 
of  March :  I  had  secured  tenants  who  would  take 
possession  of  our  rooms  as  soon  as  we  should  leave 
them  ;  and  now  every  spare  moment  was  given  to 
studying  the  problem  of  country  living  and  to  prep 
arations  for  departure.  I  obtained  illustrated  cata 
logues  from  several  dealers  in  seeds,  and  we  pored 
over  them  every  evening.  At  first  they  bewildered 
us  with  their  long  lists  of  varieties,  while  the  glow 
ing  descriptions  of  new  kinds  of  vegetables  just  being 
introduced  awakened  in  us  something  of  a  gambling 
spirit. 

"  How  fortunate  it  is,"  exclaimed  my  wife,  "  that 
we  are  going  to  the  country  just  as  the  vegetable 


A   BLUFF  FRIEND.  2£ 

marvels  were  discovered !  Why,  Robert,  if  half  of 
what  is  said  is  true,  we  shall  make  our  fortunes." 

With  us,  hitherto,  a  beet  had  been  a  beet,  and  a 
cabbage  a  cabbage ;  but  here  were  accounts  of  beets 
which,  as  Merton  said,  "  beat  all  creation,"  and  pic 
tures  of  prodigious  cabbage  heads  which  well-nigh 
turned  our  own.  With  a  blending  of  hope  and  dis 
trust  I  carried  two  of  the  catalogues  to  a  shrewd 
old  fellow  in  Washington  Market.  He  was  a  dealer 
in  country  produce  who  had  done  business  so  long 
at  the  same  stand  that  among  his  fellows  he  was 
looked  upon  as  a  kind  of  patriarch.  During  a  former 
interview  he  had  replied  to  my  questions  with  a  blunt 
honesty  that  had  inspired  confidence. 

The  day  was  somewhat  mild,  and  I  found  him  in 
his  shirt-sleeves,  smoking  his  pipe  among  his  piled- 
up  barrels,  boxes,  and  crates,  after  his  eleven  o'clock 
dinner.  His  day's  work  was  practically  over;  and 
well  it  might  be,  for,  like  others  of  his  calling,  he 
had  begun  it  long  before  dawn.  Now  his  old  felt  hat 
was  pushed  well  back  on  his  bald  head,  and  his  red 
face,  fringed  with  a  grizzled  beard,  expressed  a  sort 
of  heavy,  placid  content.  His  small  gray  eyes  twin 
kled  as  shrewdly  as  ever.  With  his  pipe  he  indicated 
a  box  on  which  I  might  sit  while  we  talked. 

"See  here,  Mr.  Bogart,"  I  began,  showing  him 
the  seed  catalogues,  "how  is  a  man  to  choose  wisely 
what  vegetables  he  will  raise  from  a  list  as  long  as 
your  arm  ?  Perhaps  I  shouldn't  take  any  of  those 
old-fashioned  kinds,  but  go  into  these  wonderful 
novelties  which  promise  a  new  era  in  horticulture." 

The  old  man  gave  a  contemptuous  grunt ;  then. 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 


removing  his  pipe,  he  blew  out  a  cloud 
of  smoke  that  half  obscured  us  both  as 


MR.  BOGART  GIVES   SOMB   GOOD  ADVICE 


he  remarked,  gruffly, 
" '  A  fool  and  his  money 
are  soon  parted.' ' 

This    was    about    as 

rough  as  March  weather ;  but  I  knew  my  man,  and 
perhaps  proved  that  J  wasn't  a  fool  by  not  parting 
with  him  then  and  there 


A  BLUFF  FRIEND.  3 1 

"Come  now,  neighbor,"  I  said,  brusquely,  "I  know 
some  things  that  you  don't,  and  there  are  affairs  in 
which  I  could  prove  you  to  b^  as  green  as  I  am  in 
this  matter.  If  you  came  to  me  I'd  give  you  the  best 
advice  that  I  could,  and  be  civil  about  it  into  the 
bargain.  I've  come  to  you  because  I  believe  you  to 
be  honest  and  to  know  what  I  don't.  When  I  tell 
you  that  I  have  a  little  family  dependent  on  me,  and 
that  I  mean  if  possible  to  get  a  living  for  them  out 
of  the  soil,  I  believe  you  are  man  enough  both  to  fall 
in  with  my  plan  and  to  show  a  little  friendly  interest. 
If  you  are  not,  I'll  go  farther  and  fare  better." 

As  I  fired  this  broadside  he  looked  at  me  askance, 
with  the  pipe  in  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  then 
reached  out  his  great  brown  paw,  and  said,  — 

"Shake." 

I  knew  it  was  all  right  now,  —  that  the  giving  of 
his  hand  ineant  not  only  a  treaty  of  peace  but  also  a 
friendly  alliance.  The  old  fellow  discoursed  vegeta 
ble  wisdom  so  steadily  for  half  an  hour  that  his  pipe 
went  out. 

"You  jest  let  that  new-fangled  truck  alone,"  he 
said,  "  till  you  get  more  forehanded  in  cash  and  expe 
rience.  Then  you  may  learn  how  to  make  some 
thing  out  of  them  novelties,  as  they  call  'em,  if  they 
are  worth  growing  at  all.  Now  and  then  a  good 
penny  is  turned  on  a  new  fruit  or  vegetable ;  but 
how  to  do  it  will  be  one  of  the  last  tricks  that  you'll 
learn  in  your  new  trade.  Hand  me  one  of  them  mis- 
leadin'  books,  and  I'll  mark  a  few  solid  kinds  such  as 
produce  ninety-nine  hundredths  of  all  that's  used  or 
sold.  Then  you  go  to  What-you-call-'em's  store,  and 


32  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

take  a  line  from  me,  and  you'll  git  the  genu/W  arti 
cle  at  market-gardeners'  prices." 

"  Now,  Mr.  Bogart,  you  are  treating  me  like  a  man 
and  a  brother." 

"  Oh  thunder !  I'm  treating  you  like  one  who, 
p'raps,  may  deal  with  me.  Do  as  you  please  about 
it,  but  if  you  want  to  take  along  a  lot  of  my  business 
cards  and  fasten  'em  to  anything  you  have  to  sell, 
I'll  give  you  all  they  bring,  less  my  commission." 

"  I've  no  doubt  you  will,  and  that's  more  than  I 
can  believe  of  a  good  many  in  your  line,  if  all's  true 
that  I  hear.  You  have  thrown  a  broad  streak  of 
daylight  into  my  future.  So  you  see  the  fool  didn't 
part  with  his  money,  or  with  you  either,  until  he  got 
a  good  deal  more  than  he  expected." 

"  Well,  well,  Mr.  Durham,  you'll  have  to  get  used 
to  my  rough  ways.  When  I've  anything  to  say  I 
don't  beat  about  the  bush.  But  you'll  always  find 
my  checks  good  for  their  face." 

"Yes,  and  the  face  back  of  them  is  that  ^\  a 
friend  to  me  now.  We'll  shake  again.  Good-by  ; " 
and  I  went  home  feeling  as  if  I  had  solid  ground 
under  my  feet.  At  supper  I  went  over  the  whole 
scene,  taking  off  the  man  in  humorous  pantomime, 
not  ridicule,  and  even  my  wife  grew  hilarious  over 
her  disappointed  hopes  of  the  "new-fangled  truck." 
I  managed,  however,  that  the  children  should  not 
lose  the  lesson  that  a  rough  diamond  is  better  than 
a  smooth  paste  stone,  and  that  people  often  do 
themselves  an  injury  when  they  take  offence  too 
easily. 

"I  see  it  all,  papa,"  chuckled   Merton;   "if  you 


A  BLUFF  FRIEND.  33 

had  gone  off  mad  when  he  the  same  as  called  you  a 
fool,  you  would  have  lost  all  his  good  advice." 

"  I  should  have  lost  much  more  than  that,  my  boy. 
I  should  have  lost  the  services  of  a  good  friend  and 
an  honest  man  to  whom  we  can  send  for  its  full 
worth  whatever  we  can't  sell  to  better  advantage  at 
home.  But  don't  mistake  me,  Merton,  toadyism 
never  pays,  no  matter  what  you  may  gain  by  it ;  for 
you  give  manhood  for  such  gain,  and  that's  a  kind  of 
property  that  one  can  never  part  with  and  make  a 
good  bargain.  You  see  the  old  man  didn't  mean  to 
be  insolent.  As  he  said,  it  was  only  his  rough,  blunt 
way  of  saying  what  was  uppermost  in  his  mind." 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MR.  JONES  SHOWS  ME  THE  PLACE. 

THE  next  day,  according  to  appointment,  I  went 
to  Maizeville.  John  Jones  met  me  at  the  sta 
tion,  and  drove  me  in  his  box-sleigh  to  see  the  farm 
he  had  written  of  in  his  laconic  note.  I  looked  at 
him  curiously  as  we  jogged  along  over  the  melting 
snow.  The  day  was  unclouded  for  a  wonder,  and 
the  sun  proved  its  increasing  power  by  turning  the 
sleigh-tracks  in  the  road  into  gleaming  rills.  The 
visage  of  my  new  acquaintance  formed  a  decided 
contrast  to  the  rubicund  face  of  the  beef-eating 
marketman.  He  was  sandy  even  to  his  eyebrows 
and  complexion.  His  scraggy  beard  suggested  pov 
erty  of  soil  on  his  lantern  jaws.  His  frame  was  as 
gaunt  as  that  of  a  scare-crow,  and  his  hands  and  feet 
were  enormous.  He  had  one  redeeming  feature, 
however, — a  pair  of  blue  eyes  that  looked  straight 
at  you  and  made  you  feel  that  there  was  no  "crook 
edness  "  behind  them. 

His  brief  letter  had  led  me  to  expect  a  man  of  few 
words,  but  I  soon  found  that  John  Jones  was  a  talker 
and  a  good-natured  gossip.  He  knew  every  one  we 
met,  and  was  usually  greeted  with  a  rising  infleo 
tion,  like  this,  "  How  are  YOU,  JOHN  ? " 


MR.  JONES  SHOWS  ME    THE  PLACE.  $$ 

We  drove  inland  for  two  or  three  miles. 

"No,  I  didn't  crack  up  the  place,  and  I  ain't 
a  goin'  to,"  said  my  real-estate  agent.  "As  I  wrote 
you,  you  can  see  for  yourself  when  we  get  there,  and 
I'll  answer  all  questions  square.  I've  got  the  sellin' 
of  the  property,  and  I  mean  it  shall  be  a  good  bar 
gain,  good  for  me  and  good  for  him  who  buys.  I 
don't  intend  havin'  any  neighbors  around  blamin'  me 
for  a  fraud ; "  and  that  is  all  he  would  say  about  it. 

On  we  went,  over  hills  and  down  dales,  surrounded 
y  scenery  that  seemed  to  me  beautiful  beyond  all 
words,  even  in  its  wintry  aspect. 

"  What  mountain  is  that  standing  off  by  itself  ? " 
I  asked. 

"  Schunemunk,"  he  said.  "Your  place  —  well,  I 
guess  it  will  be  yours  before  plantin'-time  comes  — • 
faces  that  mountain  and  looks  up  the  valley  between 
it  and  the  main  highlands  on  the  left.  Vender's  the 
house,  on  the  slope  of  this  big  round  hill,  that'll 
shelter  you  from  the  north  winds." 

I  shall  not  describe  the  place  very  fully  now,  pre 
ferring  that  it  should  be  seen  through  the  eyes  of 
my  wife  and  children,  as  well  as  my  own. 

"The  dwelling  appears  old,"  I  said. 

"  Yes ;  part  of  it's  a  good  deal  more'n  a  hundred 
years  old.  It's  been  added  to  at  both  ends.  Bat 
there's  timbers  in  it  that  will  stand  another  hundred 
years.  I  had  a  fire  made  in  the  livin'-room  this 
mornin',  to  take  off  the  chill,  and  we'll  go  in  and  sit 
down  after  we've  looked  the  place  over.  Then  you 
must  come  and  take  pot-luck  with  us." 

At  first  I  was  not  at  all  enthusiastic,  b\it  the  more 


36  DRIYEN  BACK   TO   EDEN-. 

I  examined  the  place,  and  thought  it  over,  the  more 
it  grew  on  my  fancy.  When  I  entered  the  main 
room  of  the  cottage,  and  saw  the  wide,  old-fashioned 
fireplace,  with  its  crackling  blaze,  I  thawed  so  rapidly 
that  John  Jones  chuckled.  "  You're  amazin'  refresh- 
in'  for  a  city  chap.  I  guess  I'll  crack  on  another 
hundred  to  the  price." 

"  I  thought  you  were  not  going  to  crack  up  the 
place  at  all." 

"  Neither  be  I.  Take  that  old  arm-chair,  and  I'll 
tell  you  all  about  it.  The  place  looks  rather  run 
down,  as  you  have  seen.  Old  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jamison 
lived  here  till  lately.  Last  January  the  old  man 
died,  and  a  good  old  man  he  was.  His  wife  has 
gone  to  live  with  a  daughter.  By  the  will  I  was 
app'inted  executor  and  trustee.  I've  fixed  on  a  fair 
price  for  the  property,  and  I'm  goin'  to  hold  on  till  I 
get  it.  There's  twenty  acres  of  ploughable  land  and 
orchard,  and  a  five-acre  wood-lot,  as  I  told  you.  The 
best  part  of  the  property  is  this.  Mr.  Jamison  was 
a  natural  fruit-grower.  He  had  a  heap  of  good  fruit 
here  and  wouldn't  grow  nothin'  but  the  best.  He 
was  always  a-speerin'  round,  and  when  he  come 
across  something  extra  he'd  get  a  graft,  or  a  root  or 
two.  So  he  gradually  came  to  have  the  best  there 
was  a-goin'  in  these  parts.  Now  I  tell  you  what  it 
is,  Mr.  Durham,  you  can  buy  plenty  of  new,  bare 
places,  but  your  hair  would  be  gray  before  you'd 
have  the  fruit  that  old  man  Jamison  planted  and 
tended  into  bearing  condition ;  and  you  can  buy 
places  with  fine  shade  trees  and  all  that,  and  a  good 
show  of  a  garden  and  orchard,  but  Jamison  used  to 


MR.  JONES  SHOWS  ME    THE  PLACE. 


37 


say  that  an  apple   or  cherry  was   a   pretty  enough 
shade  tree  for  him,  and  he  used  to  say  too  that  a 

tree  that  bore  the  big 
gest  and  best  apples 
didn't  take  any  more 
room  than  one  that 
yielded  what  was  fit 
only  for  the  cider  press. 


"YOU  DON'T  COME  TO  THE 
1OUNTRY  TO  AMUSE  YOURSELF, 
•UT  TO  MAKE  A  UVIN'." 


Now  the  p'int's  just   here.     You 

don't  come  to  the  country  to  amuse 

yourself  by  developin'  a  property,  like  most  city  chaps 

do,  but  to  make  a  livin'.    Well,  don't  you  see  ?    This 


38  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN". 

farm  is  like  a  mill.  When  the  sun's  another  month 
higher  it  will  start  all  the  machinery  in  the  apple, 
cherry,  and  pear  trees  and  the  small  fruits,  and  it 
will  turn  out  a  crop  the  first  year  you're  here  that 
will  put  money  in  your  pocket." 

Then  he  named  the  price,  half  down  and  the  rest 
on  mortgage,  if  I  so  preferred.  It  was  within  the 
limit  that  my  means  permitted. 

I  got  up  and  went  all  over  the  house,  which  was 
still  plainly  furnished  in  part.  A  large  woodhouse 
near  the  back  door  had  been  well  filled  by  the  provi 
dent  old  man.  There  was  ample  cellar  room,  which 
was  also  a  safeguard  against  dampness.  Then  I 
went  out  and  walked  around  the  house.  It.was  all 
so  quaint  and  homely  as  to  make  me  feel  that  it 
would  soon  become  home-like  to  us.  There  was 
nothing  smart  to  be  seen,  nothing  new  except  a  barn 
that  had  recently  been  built  near  one  of  the  oldest 
and  grayest  structures  of  the  kind  I  had  ever  seen. 
The  snow-clad  mountains  lifted  themselves  about  me 
in  a  way  that  promised  a  glimpse  of  beauty  every 
time  I  should  raise  my  eyes  from  work.  Yet  after 
all  my  gaze  lingered  longest  on  the  orchard  and  fruit- 
trees  that  surrounded  the  dwelling. 

•''That's  sensible,"  remarked  Mr.  Jones,  who  fol 
lowed  me  with  no  trace  of  anxiety  or  impatience. 
"  Paint,  putty,  and  pine  will  make  a  house  in  a  few 
weeks,  but  it  takes  a  good  slice  out  of  a  century  to 
build  up  an  orchard  like  that." 

"That  was  just  what  I  was  thinking,  Mr.  Jones." 

"  Oh,  I  knowed  that.  Well,  I've  got  just  two  more 
things  to  say,  then  I'm  clone  and  you  can  take  it  or 


MR.  JONES  SHOWS  ME    THE  PLACE.  39 

leave  it.  Don't  you  see  ?  The  house  is  on  a  slope 
facing  the  south-east.  You  get  the  morning  sun 
and  southern  breeze.  Some  people  don't  know  what 
they're  worth,  but  I,  who've  lived  here  all  my  life, 
know  they're  worth  payin'  for.  Again,  you  see  the 
ground  slopes  off  to  the  crick  yonder.  That  means 
good  drainage.  We  don't  have  any  malary  here,  and 
that  fact  is  worth  as  much  as  the  farm,  for  I  wouldn't 
take  a  section  of  the  garden  of  Eden  if  there  was 
malary  around." 

"On  your  honor  now,  Mr.  Jones,  how  far  is  the 
corner  around  which  they  have  the  malaria  ? " 

"  Mr.  Durham,  it  ain't  a  mile  away." 

I  laughed  as  I  said,  "  I  shall  have  one  neighbor,  it 
seems,  to  whom  I  can  lend  an  umbrella." 

"Then  you'll  take  the  place  ?  " 

"Yes,  if  my  wife  is  as  well  satisfied  as  I  am.  I 
want  you  to  give  me  the  refusal  of  it  for  one  week  at 
the  price  you  named." 

"Agreed,  and  I'll  put  it  in  black  and  white." 

"  Now,  Mr.  Jones,"  I  began,  with  an  apologetic  little 
laugh,  "you  grow  one  thing  up  here  in  all  seasons,  I 
fancy, — an  appetite.  As  I  feel  now,  your  pot-luck 
means  good  luck,  no  matter  what  is  in  it." 

"  Now  you  talk  sense.  I  was  a-hankerin'  myself. 
I  take  stock  right  off  in  a  man  or  a  critter  with  an 
appetite.  They're  always  improvin'.  Yes,  sir; 
Maizeville  is  the  place  to  grow  an  appetite,  and 
what's  more  we  can  grow  plenty  to  satisfy  it." 

Mrs.  Jones  made  a  striking  contrast  to  her  hus 
band,  for  she  first  impressed  me  as  being  short,  red, 
and  round;  but  her  friendly,  bustling  ways  and 


40  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

hearty  welcome  soon  added  other  and  very  pleasant 
impressions ;  and  when  she  placed  a  great  dish  of 
fricasseed  chicken  on  the  table  she  won  a  good-will 
which  her  neighborly  kindness  has  steadily  increased. 


CELLING  ABOUT  EDEff.  41 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

TELLING   ABOUT   EDEN. 

NEVER  was  a  traveller  from  a  remote  foreign 
clime  listened  to  with  more  breathless  interest 
than  I  as  I  related  my  adventures  at  our  late  supper 
after  my  return.  Mousie  looked  almost  feverish  in 
her  excitement,  and  Winnie  and  Bobsey  exploded 
with  merriment  over  the  name  of  the  mountain  that 
would  be  one  of  our  nearest  neighbors.  They  dubbed 
the  place  "  Schunemunks  "  at  once.  Merton  put  on 
serious  and  sportsman-like  airs  as  he  questioned  me, 
and  it  was  evident  that  he  expected  to  add  largely  to 
our  income  from  the  game  he  should  kill.  I  did  not 
take  much  pains  to  dispel  his  illusions,  knowing  that 
one  day's  tramo  would  do  this,  and  that  he  would 
bring  back  increased  health  and  strength  if  nothing 
else. 

No  fairy  tale  had  ever  absorbed  the  children  like 
the  description  of  that  old  house  and  its  surround 
ings  ;  and  when  at  last  they  were  induced  to  retire  I 
said  to  my  wife,  after  explaining  more  in  practical 
detail  the  pros  and  cons  to  be  considered :  "  It  all 
depends  on  you.  If  you  wish  I  will  take  you  up  the 
first  pleasant  day,  so  that  you  can  see  for  yourself 
before  we  decide." 


42  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

She  laughed  as  she  said,  "  I  decided  two  minutes 
after  you  arrived." 

"How  is  that?" 

"  I  saw  you  had  the  place  in  your  eyes.  La,  Rob 
ert  !  I  can  read  you  like  a  book.  You  give  in  to 
me  in  little  things,  and  that  pleases  a  woman,  you 
know.  You  must  decide  a  question  like  this,  for  it 
is  a  question  of  support  for  us  all,  and  you  can  do 
better  on  a  place  that  suits  you  than  on  one  never 
quite  to  your  mind.  It  has  grown  more  and  more 
clear  to  me  all  the  evening  that  you  have  fallen  in 
love  with  the  old  place,  and  that  settles  it." 

"  Well,  you  women  have  a  way  of  your  own  of 
deciding  a  question." 

My  wife  was  too  shrewd  not  to  make  a  point  in 
her  favor,  and  she  remarked,  with  a  complacent  nod, 
"/  have  a  way  of  my  own,  but  there  are  women  in 
the  world  who  would  have  insisted  on  a  smart  new 
house." 

"  Little  wife,"  I  said,  laughing,  "there  was  another 
girl  that  I  was  a  little  sweet  on  before  I  met  you. 
I'm  glad  you  are  not  the  other  girl." 

She  put  her  head  a  little  to  one  sid^  with  the  old 
roguish  look  which  used  to  be  so  distracting  when 
the  question  of  questions  with  me  was  whether  pretty 
Winnie  Barlow  would  give  half  a  dozen  young  fellows 
the  go-by  for  my  sake,  and  she  said,  "Perhaps  the 
other  girl  is  glad  too." 

"  I've  no  doubt  she  is,"  I  sighed,  "  for  her  husband 
is  getting  rich.  I  don't  care  how  glad  she  is  if  my 
girl  is  not  sorry." 

"  You  do  amuse  me  so,  Robert !    You'd  like  to  pass 


TELLING  ABOUT  EDEN.  43 

for  something  of  a  philosopher,  with  your  brown 
studies  into  the  hidden  causes  and  reasons  for  things, 
yet  you  don't  half  know  yet  that  when  a  woman  sets 
her  heart  on  something,  she  hasn't  much  left  with 
which  to  long  for  anything  else.  That  is,  if  she  has 
a  heart,  which  seems  to  be  left  out  of  some  women." 

"  I  think  it  is,  and  others  get  a  double  allowance. 
I  should  be  content,  for  I  was  rich  the  moment  I  won 
yours." 

"  I've  been  more  than  content ;  I've  been  happy,  — 
happy  all  these  years  in  city  flats.  Even  in  my  tan 
trums  and  bad  days  I  knew  I  was  happy,  deep  in  my 
heart." 

"  I  only  hope  you  will  remain  as  blind  about  your 
plodding  old  husband  who  couldn't  make  a  fortune 
in  the  city." 

"  I've  seen  men  who  made  fortunes,  and  I've  seen 
their  wives  too." 

I  thanked  God  for  the  look  on  her  face,  —  a  look 
which  had  been  there  when  she  was  a  bride,  and 
which  had  survive J  many  straitened  years. 

So  we  chose  our  country  home.  The  small  patri 
mony  to  which  we  had  added  but  little  —  (indeed  we 
had  often  denied  ourselves  in  order  not  to  diminish 
it)  —  was  nearly  all  to  be  invested  in  the  farm,  and  a 
debt  to  be  incurred,  besides.  While  yielding  to  my 
fancy  I  believed  that  I  had  at  the  same  time  chosen 
wisely,  for,  as  John  Jones  said,  the  mature  fruit-trees 
on  the  place  would  begin  to  bring  returns  very  soon. 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER   IX. 
"BREAKING  CAMP." 

WE  were  now  all  eager  to  get  away,  and  the 
weather  favored  our  wishes.  A  warm  rain 
with  a  high  south  wind  set  in,  and  the  ice  disappeared 
from  the  river  like  magic.  I  learned  that  the  after 
noon  boat  which  touched  at  Maizeville  would  begin 
its  trips  in  the  following  week. 

I  told  my  wife  about  the  furniture  which  still  re 
mained  in  the  house,  and  the  prices  which  John  Jones 
put  upon  it.  We  therefore  found  that  we  could  dis 
pose  of  a  number  of  bulky  articles  in  our  city*  apart 
ments,  and  save  a  goodly  sum  in  cartage  and  freight. 
Like  soldiers  short  of  ammunition,  we  had  to  make 
every  dollar  tell,  and  when  by  thought  and  manage 
ment  we  could  save  a  little  it  was  talked  over  as  a 
triumph  to  be  proud  of. 

The  children  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  thing 
with  great  zest.  They  were  all  going  to  be  hardy 
pioneers.  One  evening  I  described  the  landing  of 
the  "  Mayflower,"  and  some  of  the  New-England  win 
ters  that  followed,  and  they  wished  to  come  down  to 
Indian  meal  at  once  as  a  steady  diet.  Indeed,  toward 
the  last,  we  did  come  down  to  rather  plain  fare,  for  in 


"BREAKING    CAMP."  45 

packing  up  one  thing  after  another  we  at  last  reached 
the  cooking  utensils. 

On  the  morning  of  the  day  preceding  the  one  of 
our  departure  I  began  to  use  military  figures  of 
speech. 

"  Now  we  must  get  into  marching  order,"  I  said, 
"and  prepare  to  break  camp.  Soldiers,  you  know, 
when  about  to  move,  dispose  of  all  their  heavy  bag 
gage,  cook  several  days'  provisions,  pack  up  and  load 
on  wagons  what  they  mean  to  take  with  them,  and 
start.  It  is  a  trying  time,  —  one  that  requires  the 
exercise  of  good  soldierly  qualities,  such  as  prompt 
obedience,  indifference  to  hardship  and  discomfort, 
and  especially  courage  in  meeting  whatever  happens." 

Thus  the  children's  imaginations  were  kindled,  and 
our  prosaic  breaking  up  was  a  time  of  grand  excite 
ment.  With  grim  satisfaction  they  looked  upon 
the  dismantling  of  the  rooms,  and  with  sighs  of 
relief  saw  carts  take  away  such  heavy  articles  as  I 
had  sold. 

Winnie  and  Bobsey  were  inclined  to  take  the  chil 
dren  of  neighbors  into  their  confidence,  and  to  have 
them  around,  but  I  said  that  this  would  not  do  at  all, 
—  that  when  soldiers  were  breaking  camp  the  great 
point  was  to  do  everything  as  secretly  and  rapidly  as 
possible.  Thenceforward  an  air  of  mystery  pervaded 
all  our  movements. 

Bobsey,  however,  at  last  overstepped  the  bounds 
of  our  patience  and  became  unmanageable.  The 
very  spirit  of  mischief  seemed  to  have  entered  his 
excited  little  brain.  He  untied  bundles,  placed 
things  where  they  were  in  the  way,  and  pestered  thfi 


46 


DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 


busy  mother  with  so  many  questions,  that  I  hit  upon 
a  decided  measure  to  keep 
him    quiet.       I    told     him 
about  a  great   commander 
who,  in  an  important  fight, 


COMMANDER   GOES   TO   SUt»J>. 


* BREAKING    CAMP?  47 

was  strapped  to  a  mast,  so  that  he  could  oversee  every 
thing.  Then  I  tied  the  little  fellow  into  a  chair.  At 
first  he  was  much  elated,  and  chattered  like  a  mag 
pie,  but  when  he  found  he  was  not  to  be  released 
after  a  few  moments  he  began  to  howl  for  freedom. 
I  then  carried  him,  chair  and  all,  to  one  of  the  back 
rooms.  Soon  his  cries  ceased,  and  tender-hearted 
Mousie  stole  after  him.  Returning  she  said,  with  her 
low  laugh,  "  He'll  be  good  now  for  a  while ;  he's 
sound  asleep." 

And  so  passed  the  last  day  in  our  city  rooms. 
Except  as  wife  and  children  were  there,  they  had 
never  appeared  very  homelike  to  me,  and  now  they 
looked  bare  and  comfortless  indeed.  The  children 
gloated  over  their  appearance,  for  it  meant  novelty 
to  them.  "  The  old  camp  is  about  broken  up,"  Mer- 
ton  remarked,  with  the  air  of  a  veteran.  But  my 
wife  sighed  more  than  once. 

"What  troubles  you,  Winifred  ?" 

"Robert,  the  children  were  born  here,  and  here 
I've  watched  over  them  in  sickness  and  health  so 
many  days  and  nights  !  " 

"  Well,  my  dear,  the  prospects  are  that  in  our  new 
home  you  will  not  have  to  watch  over  them  in  sick 
ness  very  much.  Better  still,  you  will  not  have  to 
be  so  constantly  on  your  guard  against  contagions 
that  harm  the  soul  as  well  as  the  body.  I  was  told 
that  there  are  rattlesnakes  on  Schunemunk,  but 
greater  dangers  for  Winnie  and  Merton  lurk  in  this 
street,  —  yes,  in  this  very  house ; "  and  I  exulted 
over  the  thought  that  we  were  about  to  bid  Melissa 
Daggett  a  final  good-by. 


48  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"Oh,  I  know.     I'm  glad  ;  but  then  —  " 
"  But  then  a  woman's  heart  takes  root  in  any  place 
where  she  has  loved  and  suffered.     That  tendency 
makes  it  all  the  more  certain  that  you'll  love  your 
new  home." 

"  Yes ;  we  may  as  well  face  the  truth,  Robert. 
We  shall  suffer  in  the  new  home  as  surely  as  in  the 
old.  There  may  be  stronger  sunshine,  but  that 
means  deeper  shadow." 


SCENES  ON  THE    WHARF.  49 


CHAPTER   X. 

SCENES    ON   THE   WHARF. 

THE  last  night  in  the  city  flat  was  in  truth  like 
camping  out,  and  we  looked  and  felt  like  emi 
grants.  But  the  fatigues  of  the  day  brought  us 
sound  sleep,  and  in  the  morning  we  rose  with  the 
dawn,  from  our  shake-downs  on  the  floor,  to  begin 
eagerly  and  hopefully  our  final  preparations  for  de 
parture.  In  response  to  my  letters  John  Jones  had 
promised  to  meet  us  at  the  Maizeville  Landing  with 
his  strong  covered  rockaway,  and  to  have  a  fire  in 
the  old  farmhouse.  Load  after  load  was  despatched 
to  the  boat,  for  I  preferred  to  deal  with  one  trusty 
truckman.  When  all  had  been  taken  away,  we  said 
good-by  to  our  neighbors  and  took  the  horse-car  to 
the  boat,  making  our  quiet  exit  in  the  least  costly 
way.  I  knew  the  boat  would  be  warm  and  comfort 
able,  and  proposed  that  we  should  eat  our  lunch 
there. 

The  prospect,  however,  of  seeing  the  wharves,  the 
boats,  and  the  river  destroyed  even  the  children's 
appetites.  We  soon  reached  the  crowded  dock. 
The  great  steamer  appeared  to  be  a  part  of  it,  lying 
along  its  length  with  several  gang-ways,  over  which 


5O  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

boxes,  barrels,  and  packages  were  being  hustled  on 
board  with  perpetual  din.  The  younger  children 
were  a  little  awed  at  first  by  the  noise  and  apparent 
confusion.  Mousie  kept  close  to  my  side,  and  even 
Eobsey  clung  to  his  mother's  hand.  The  extended 
upper  cabin  had  state-rooms  opening  along  its  sides, 
and  was  as  comfortable  as  a  floating  parlor  with  its 
arm  and  rocking  chairs.  Here,  not  far  from  a  great 
heater,  I  established  our  headquarters.  I  made  the 
children  locate  the  spot  carefully,  and  said  :  "  From 
this  point  we'll  make  excursions.  In  the  first  place, 
Merton,  you  come  with  me  and  see  that  all  our 
household  effects  are  together  and  in  good  order. 
You  must  learn  to  travel  and  look  after  things  like 
a  man." 

We  spent  a  little  time  in  arranging  our  goods  so 
that  they  would  be  safer  and  more  compact.  Then 
we  went  to  the  captain  and  laughingly  told  him  we 
were  emigrants  to  Maizeville,  and  hoped  before  long 
to  send  a  good  deal  of  produce  by  his  boat.  We 
therefore  wished  him  to  "lump"  us,  goods,  children, 
and  all,  and  deliver  us  safely  at  the  Maizeville  wharf 
for  as  small  a  sum  as  possible. 

He  good-naturedly  agreed,  and  I  found  that  the 
chief  stage  of  our  journey  would  involve  less  outlay 
than  I  had  expected. 

Thus  far  all  had  gone  so  well  that  I  began  to  fear 
that  a  change  must  take  place  soon,  in  order  that  our 
experience  should  be  more  like  the  common  lot  of 
humanity.  When  at  last  I  took  all  the  children  out 
on  the  after-deck,  to  remove  the  first  edge  of  their 
curiosity,  I  saw  that  there  was  at  least  an  ominous 


SCENES  ON   THE    WHARF.  5T 

change  in  the  weather.  The  morning  had  been  mild, 
with  a  lull  in  the  usual  March  winds.  Now  a  scud 
of  clouds  was  drifting  swiftly  in  from  the  eastward, 
and  chilly,  fitful  gusts  began  to  moan  and  sigh  about 
us.  A  storm  was  evidently  coming,  and  my  hope 
was  that  we  might  reach  our  haven  before  it  began. 
I  kept  my  fears  to  myself,  and  we  watched  the  long 
lines  of  carts  converging  toward  the  gang-planks  of 
our  own  and  other  steamboats. 

"See,  youngsters,"  I  cried,  "all  this  means  com 
merce.  These  loads  and  loads  of  things  will  soon 
be  at  stores  and  homes  up  the  river,  supplying  the 
various  needs  of  people.  To-morrow  the  residents 
along  the  river  will  bring  what  they  have  to  sell 
to  this  same  boat,  and  by  daylight  next  morning 
carts  will  be  carrying  country  produce  and  manu 
factured  articles  all  over  the  city.  Thus  you  see 
commerce  is  made  by  people  supplying  themselves 
and  each  other  with  what  they  need.  Just  as  soon 
as  we  can  bring  down  a  crate  of  berries  and  send  it 
to  Mr.  Bogart  we  shall  be  adding  to  the  commerce 
of  the  world  in  the  best  way.  We  shall  become 
what  are  called  the  '  producers/  and  but  for  this 
class  the  world  would  soon  come  to  an  end." 

"'Rah!"  cried  Bobsey,  "I'm  goin' to  be  a  p'o- 
ducer." 

He  promised,  however,  to  be  a  consumer  for  a 
long  time  to  come,  especially  of  patience.  His  na 
tive  fearlessness  soon  asserted  itself,  and  he  wanted 
to  go  everywhere  and  see  everything,  asking  ques 
tions  about  machinery,  navigation,  river  craft,  the 
contents  of  every  box,  bale,  or  barrel  we  saw,  till 


J2  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

I  felt  that  I  was  being  used  like  a  town  pump.  I 
pulled  him  back  to  the  cabin,  resolving  to  stop  his 
mouth  for  a  time  at  least  with  the  contents  of  our 
lunch-basket. 

Winnie  was  almost  as  bad,  —  or  as  good,  perhaps 
I  should  say ;  for,  however  great  the  drain  and  strain 
on  me  might  be,  I  knew  that  these  active  little  brains 
were  expanding  to  receive  a  host  of  new  ideas. 

Mousie  was  quiet  as  usual,  and  made  no  trouble, 
but  I  saw  with  renewed  hope  that  this  excursion  into 
the  world  awakened  in  her  a  keen  and  natural  inter 
est.  Ever  since  the  project  of  country  life  had  beeir 
decided  upon,  her  listless,  weary  look  had  been  giv 
ing  place  to  one  of  greater  animation.  The  hope  of 
flowers  and  a  garden  had  fed  her  life  like  a  deep,  hid 
den  spring. 

To  Merton  I  had  given  larger  liberty,  and  had  said  : 
"It  is  not  necessary  for  you  to  stay  with  me  all  the 
time.  Come  and  go  on  the  boat  and  wharf  as  you 
wish.  Pick  up  what  knowledge  you  can.  All  I  ask 
is  that  you  will  use  good  sense  in  keeping  out  of 
trouble  and  danger." 

I  soon  observed  that  he  was  making  acquaintances 
here  and  there,  and  asking  questions  which  would  go 
far  to  make  good  his  loss  of  schooling  for  a  time. 
Finding  out  about  what  one  sees  is,  in  my  belief,  one 
of  the  best  ways  of  getting  an  education.  The  trouble 
\vith  most  of  us  is  that  we  accept  what  we  see,  with 
out  inquiry  or  knowledge. 

The  children  were  much  interested  in  scenes  wit 
nessed  from  the  side  of  the  boat  farthest  from  the 
wharf.  Here  in  the  enclosed  water  space  were  sev- 


54  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

eral  kinds  of  craft,  but  the  most  curious  in  their 
eyes  was  a  group  of  canal-boats,  —  "  queer  travelling 
houses  "  Mousie  called  them  ;  for  it  was  evident  that 
each  one  had  a  family  on  board,  and  the  little  entrance 
to  the  hidden  cabin  resembled  a  hole  from  which 
men,  women,  and  children  came  like  rabbits  out  of  a 
burrow.  Tough,  hardy,  barefooted  children  were 
everywhere.  While  we  were  looking,  one  frowsy- 
headed  little  girl  popped  up  from  her  burrow  in  the 
boat,  and,  with  legs  and  feet  as  red  as  a  boiled  lob 
ster,  ran  along  the  guards  like  a  squirrel  along  a 
fence. 

"  O  dear ! "  sighed  Mousie,  "  I'd  rather  live  in  a 
city  flat  than  in  such  a  house." 

"  I  think  it  would  be  splendid,"  protested  Winnie, 
"to  live  in  a  travelling  house.  You  could  go  all 
over  and  still  stay  at  home." 

I  was  glad  on  our  return  to  find  my  wife  dozing  in 
her  chair.  She  was  determined  to  spend  in  rest  the 
hours  on  the  boat,  and  had  said  that  Mousie  also 
must  be  quiet  much  of  the  afternoon. 

Between  three  and  four  the  crush  on  the  wharf 
became  very  great.  Horses  and  drays  were  so 
mixed  up  that  to  inexperienced  eyes  it  looked  as  if 
they  could  never  be  untangled.  People  of  every 
description,  loaded  down  with  parcels,  were  hurrying 
on  board,  and  it  would  seem  from  our  point  of  view 
that  American  women  shared  with  their  French  sis 
ters  an  aptness  for  trade,  for  among  the  passengers 
were  not  a  few  substantial,  matronly  persons  who 
appeared  as  if  they  could  look  the  world  in  the  face 
and  get  the  better  of  it. 


A    VOYAGE   UP   THE  HUDSON. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

A   VOYAGE    UP    THE    HUDSON. 

AS  four  P.M.  approached,  I  took  the  children  to  a 
great  glass  window  in  the  cabin,  through  which 
we  could  see  the  massive  machinery. 

"  Now/'  said  I,  "  watch  the  steel  giant ;  he  is 
motionless,  but  in  a  moment  or  two  he  will  move." 

True  enough,  he  appeared  to  take  a  long  breath  of 
steam,  and  then  slowly  lifted  his  polished  arms,  or 
levers,  and  the  boat  that  had  been  like  a  part  of  the 
wharf  began  to  act  as  if  it  were  alive  and  were  wak 
ing  up. 

"Now,"  I  asked,  "shall  we  go  to  the  after-deck 
and  take  our  last  look  at  the  city,  or  forward  and  see 
the  river  and  whither  we  are  going  ? " 

"  Forward  !  forward  !  "  cried  all  in  chorus. 

"That's  the  difference  between  youth  and  age," 
I  thought.  "  With  the  young  it  is  always  ' forward.' ' 
But  we  found  that  we  could  not  go  out  on  the  for 
ward  deck,  for  the  wind  would  have  carried  away  my 
light,  frail  Mousie,  like  a  feather.  Indeed  it  was 
whistling  a  wild  tune  as  we  stood  in  a  small  room 
with  glass  windows  all  round.  The  waves  were 
crowned  with  foaming  white-caps,  and  the  small  craft 


*6  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

that  had  to  be  out  in  the  gale  were  bobbing  up  and 
down,  as  if  possessed.  On  the  river  was  a  strange 
and  lurid  light,  which  seemed  to  come  more  from  the 
dashing  water  than  from  the  sky,  so  dark  was  the 
latter  with  skurrying  clouds. 

Mousie  clung  timidly  to  my  side,  but  I  reassured 
her  by  saying :  "  See  how  steadily,  how  evenly  and 
boldly,  our  great  craft  goes  out  on  the  wide  river. 
In  the  same  way  we  must  go  forward,  and  never  be 
afraid.  These  boats  run  every  day  after  the  ice  dis 
appears,  and  they  are  managed  by  men  who  know 
what  to  do  in  all  sorts  of  weather." 

She  smiled,  but  whispered,  "I  think  I'll  go  back 
and  stay  with  mamma ; "  but  she  soon  found  much 
amusement  in  looking  at  passing  scenes  from  the 
windows  of  the  warm  after-cabin,  —  scenes  that  were 
like  pictures  set  in  oval  frames. 

The  other  children  appeared  fascinated  by  the 
scene,  especially  Winnie,  whose  bold  black  eyes 
flashed  with  excitement. 

"  I  want  to  see  everything  and  know  everything," 
she  said. 

"I  wish  you  to  see  and  know  about  things  like 
these,"  I  replied,  "but  not  such  things  as  Melissa 
Daggett  would  show  you." 

"  Melissy  Daggett,  indeed  ! "  cried  Winnie.  "  This 
beats  all  her  stories.  She  tried  to  tell  me  the  other 
day  about  a  theatre  at  which  a  woman  killed  a 
man  —  " 

"  Horrid  !     I  hope  you  didn't  listen  ?  " 

"  Only  long  enough  to  know  the  man  came  to  life 
again,  and  danced  in  the  next — " 


58  DR2V&A  BACK  TO  EDFtf 

"That  will  do.  I'm  not  interested  in  Melissa's 
vulgar  stories.  As  you  say,  this,  and  all  like  this,  is 
much  better,  and  will  never  prevent  you  from  becom 
ing  a  lady  like  mamma." 

Winnie's  ambition  to  become  a  lady  promised  to 
be  one  of  my  strong  levers  in  uplifting  her  character. 

I  confess  that  I  did  not  like  the  looks  of  the  sky 
or  of  the  snow-flakes  that  began  to  whirl  in  the  air, 
but  the  strong  steamer  ploughed  her  way  rapidly  past 
the  city  and  the  villa  crowned  shores  beyond.  The 
gloom  of  the  storm  and  of  early  coming  night  was  over 
all,  and  from  the  distant  western  shore  the  palisades 
frowned  dimly  through  the  obscurity. 

My  wife  came,  and  after  a  brief  glance  shivered 
and  was  turning  away,  when  I  said,  "  You  don't  like 
your  first  glimpse  of  the  country,  Winifred  ?  " 

"  It  will  look  differently  next  June.  The  children 
will  take  cold  here.  Let  them  come  and  watch  the 
machinery." 

This  we  all  did  for  a  time,  and  then  I  took  them 
on  excursions  about  the  enclosed  parts  of  the  boat. 
The  lamps  were  already  lighted,  and  the  piled-up 
freight  stood  out  in  grotesque  light  and  shadow. 

Before  very  long  we  were  standing  by  one  of  the 
furnace  rooms,  and  a  sooty  visaged  man  threw  open 
the  iron  doors  of  the  furnace.  In  the  glare  of  light 
that  rushed  forth  everything  near  stood  out  almost 
as  vividly  as  it  would  have  done  in  a  steady  gleam  of 
lightning.  The  fireman  instantly  became  a  star 
tling  silhouette,  and  the  coal  that  he  shovelled  into 
what  was  like  the  flaming  mouth  of  a  cavern  seemed 
spar  U  ing  black  diamonds,  The  snow-flakes  glim- 


A    VOYAGE    UP   THE  HUD  SOU. 


59 


mered  as  the  wind  swept  them  by  the  wide-open  win 
dow,  and  in  the  distance  were  seen  the  lights  and  the 
dim  outline  of  another  boat  rushing  toward  the  city. 

Clang !  the  iron  doors  are 
shut,  and  all  is  obscure 
again. 

"  Now  the  boat  has  had 
its  supper,"  said 


Bobsey.     "  O  dear !   I  wish  we  could  have  a  big  hot 
supper.',' 

The  smoking-room  door  stood  open,  and  we  lingered 
near  it  for  some  moments,  attracted  first  by  a  picture 
of  a  great  fat  ox,  that  suggested  grassy  meadows, 


6O  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

ploughing,  juicy  steaks,  and  other  pleasant  things. 
Then  our  attention  was  drawn  to  a  man,  evidently 
a  cattle-dealer,  who  was  holding  forth  to  others  more 
or  less  akin  to  him  in  their  pursuits. 

"Yes,"  he  was  saying,  "people  in  the  country  eat 
a  mighty  lot  of  cow  beef,  poor  and  old  at  that.  I  was 
buying  calves  out  near  Shawangunk  Mountains  last 
week,  and  stopped  at  a  small  tavern,  They  brought 
me  a  steak  and  I  tried  to  put  my  knife  in  it  —  thought 
the  knife  might  be  dull,  but  knew  my  grinders 
weren't.  Jerusalem  !  I  might  have  chawed  on  that 
steak  till  now  and  made  no  impression.  I  called  the 
landlord,  and  said,  *  See  here,  stranger,  if  you  serve 
me  old  boot-leather  for  steak  again  I'll  blow  on  your 
house.'  —  'I  vow,'  he  said,  'it's  the  best  I  kin  get 
in  these  diggin's.  You  fellers  from  the  city  buy  up 
every  likely  critter  that's  for  sale,  and  we  have  to 
take  what  you  leave.'  You  see,  he  hit  me  right 
between  the  horns,  for  it's  about  so.  Bless-  your  soul, 
if  I'd  took  in  a  lot  of  cow  beef  like  that  to  Steers  and 
Pinkham,  Washington  Market,  they'd  'a  taken  my 
hide  off  and  hung  me  up  'longside  of  my  beef." 

"Grantin*  all  that,"  said  another  man,  "folks  in 
the  country  would  be  a  sight  better  off  if  they'd  eat 
more  cow  beef  and  less  pork.  You  know  the  sayin' 
about  'out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire'?  Well, 
in  some  parts  I've  travelled  they  had  better  get 
out  of  the  fryin'-pan,  no  matter  where  they  fetch 
up." 

We  went  away  laughing,  and  I  said  :  "  Don't  you  be 
troubled,  Mousie ;  we  won't  go  to  the  frying-pan 
altogether  to  find  roses  for  your  cheeks.  We'll  paint 


A    VOYAGE    UP   THE  HUDSON-.  6 1 

them  red  with  strawberries  and  raspberries,  the  color 
put  on  from  the  inside." 

As  time  passed,  the  storm  increased,  and  the  air 
became  so  thick  with  driving  snow  that  the  boat's 
speed  was  slackened.  Occasionally  we  "slowed  up" 
for  some  moments.  The  passengers  shook  their 
heads  and  remarked,  dolefully,  "  There's  no  telling 
when  we'll  arrive." 

I  made  up  my  mind  that  it  would  be  good  economy 
for  us  all  to  have  a  hearty  hot  supper,  as  Bobsey  had 
suggested  ;  and  when,  at  last,  the  gong  resounded 
through  the  boat,  we  trooped  down  with  the  others 
to  the  lower  cabin,  where  there  were  several  long 
tables,  with  colored  waiters  in  attendance.  We  had 
not  been  in  these  lower  regions  before,  and  the  eyes 
of  the  children  soon  wandered  from  their  plates  to 
the  berths,  or  sleeping-bunks,  which  lined  the  sides 
of  the  cabin. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  in  answer  to  their  questions  ;  "it 
is  a  big  supper-room  now,  but  by  and  by  it  will  be  a 
big  bedroom,  and  people  will  be  tucked  away  in  these 
berths,  just  as  if  they  were  laid  on  shelves,  one  over 
the  other." 

The  abundant  and  delicious  supper,  in  which  steaks, 
not  from  cow  beef,  were  the  chief  feature,  gave  each 
one  of  us  solid  comfort  and  satisfaction.  Bobsey  ate 
until  the  passengers  around  him  were  laughing,  but  he, 
with  superb  indifference,  attended  strictly  to  business. 

My  wife  whispered,  "  You  must  all  eat  enough  to 
last  a  week,  for  I  sha'n't  have  time  to  cook  anything  ;  " 
and  I  was  much  pleased  at  the  good  example  which 
she  and  Mousie  set  us. 


62  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

Both  before  and  after  supper  I  conducted  Bobsey 
to  the  wash-room,  and  he  made  the  people  laugh  as 
he  stood  on  a  chair  and  washed  his  face.  But  he 
was  a  sturdy  little  fellow,  and  only  laughed  back 
when  a  man  said  he  looked  as  though  he  was  going 
to  dive  into  the  basin. 

Mousie  at  last  began  to  show  signs  of  fatigue  ;  and 
learning  that  it  would  be  several  hours  still  before 
we  could  hope  to  arrive,  so  severe  was  the  storm,  I 
procured  the  use  of  a  state-room,  and  soon  Bobsey 
was  snoring  in  the  upper  berth,  and  my  invalid  girl 
smiling  and  talking  in  soft  tones  to  her  mother  in 
the  lower  couch.  Winnie,  Merton,  and  I  prowled 
around,  spending  the  time  as  best  we  could.  Occa 
sionally  we  looked  through  the  windows  at  the  bow, 
and  wondered  how  the  pilot  could  find  his  way  through 
the  tempest.  I  confess  I  had  fears  lest  he  might  not 
do  this,  and  felt  that  I  should  be  grateful  indeed  when 
my  little  band  was  safe  on  shore.  The  people  in 
charge  of  the  boat,  however,  knew  their  business. 


MARCH  EVENING  IN  EDEN.  63 


CHAPTER   XII. 

A    MARCH    EVENING    IN    EDEN. 

AT  length  we  were  fast  at  the  Maizeville  Landing, 
although  long  after  the  usual  hour  of  arrival. 
I  was  anxious  indeed  to  learn  whether  John  Jones 
would  meet  us,  or  whether,  believing  that  we  would  not 
come  in  such  a  storm,  and  tired  of  waiting,  he  had 
gone  home  and  left  us  to  find  such  shelter  as  we 
could. 

But  there  he  was,  looking  in  the  light  of  the  lan 
terns  as  grizzled  as  old  Time  himself,  with  his  eye 
brows  and  beard  full  of  snow-flakes.  He  and  I  hastily 
carried  the  three  younger  children  ashore  through 
the  driving  snow,  and  put  them  in  a  corner  of  the 
storehouse,  while  Merton  followed  with  his  mother. 

"  Mr.  Jones,"  I  exclaimed,  "you  are  a  neighbor  to 
be  proud  of  already.  Why  didn't  you  go  home  and 
leave  us  to  our  fate  ?  " 

"Well,"  he  replied,  laughing,  "'twouldn't  take 
you  long  to  get  snowed  under  to-night.  No,  no ; 
when  I  catch  fish  I  mean  to  land  'em.  Didn't  know 
but  what  in  such  a  buster  of  a  storm  you  might  be 
inclined  to  stay  on  the  boat  and  go  back  to  the  city. 
Then  where  would  my  bargain  be  ?  " 


64  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"  No  fear  of  that.  We're  in  for  it  now,  — -  have 
enlisted  for  the  war.  What  shall  we  do  ? " 

"  Well,  I  vow  I  hardly  know.  One  thing  first,  any 
how, —  we  must  get  Mrs.  Durham  and  the  kids  into 
the  warm  waiting-room,  and  then  look  after  your 
traps." 

The  room  was  already  crowded,  but  we  squeezed 
them  in,  white  from  scarcely  more  than  a  moment's 
exposure  to  the  storm.  Then  we  took  hold  and  gave 
the  deck-hands  a  lift  with  my  baggage,  Merton  show 
ing  much  manly  spirit  in  his  readiness  to  face  the 
weather  and  the  work.  My  effects  were  soon  piled 
ur  by  themselves,  and  then  we  held  a  council. 

"Mrs.  Durham'll  hardly  want  to  face  this  storm 
with  the  children,"  began  Mr.  Jones. 

"  Are  you  going  home  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir.  I'd  rather  travel  all  night  for  the  sake 
of  being  home  in  the  morning." 

"To  tell  the  truth  I  feel  in  the  same  way,"  I  con 
tinued,  "but  reason  must  hold  the  reins.  Do  you 
think  you  could  protect  Mrs.  Durham  and  the  chil 
dren  from  the  storm  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  we  could  tuck  'em  in  so  they'd 
scarcely  know  it  was  snowin',  and  then  we  could  sled 
your  things  up  in  the  mornin'.  'Comrnodations  on 
the  landin'  to-night  will  be  pretty  crowded." 

"  We'll  let  her  decide,  then." 

When  I  explained  how  things  were  and  what  Mr. 
Jones  had  said,  she  exclaimed,  "Oh,  let  us  go  home." 

How  my  heart  jumped  at  her  use  of  the  word 
"home"  in  regard  to  a  place  that  she  had  never 
seen.  "But,  Winifred,"  I  urged,  "do  you  realize 


,i    MARCH  EVENING  IN  EDEN.  6$ 

how  bad  a  night  it  is  ?  Do  you  think  it  would  be 
safe  for  Mousie  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  so  very  cold  if  one  is  not  exposed  to  the 
wind  and  snow,"  she  replied,  "and  Mr.  Jones  says 
we  needn't  be  exposed.  I  don't  believe  we'd  run 
as  much  risk  as  in  going  to  a  little  hotel,  the  best 
rooms  of  which  are  already  taken.  Since  we  can  do 
it,  it  will  be  so  much  nicer  to  go  to  a  place  that  we 
feel  is  our  own  !  " 

"  I  must  say  chat  your  wishes  accord  with  mine." 

"Oh,  I  knew  that,"  she  replied,  laughing.  "Mr. 
Jones,"  she  added,  sociably,  "  this  man  has  a  way  of 
telling  you  what  he  wishes  by  his  looks  before  ask 
ing  your  opinion." 

"I  found  that  out  the  day  he  came  up  to  see  the 
place,"  chuckled  my  neighbor,  "and  I  was  half  a 
mind  to  stick  him  for  another  hundred  for  bein'  so 
honest.  He  don't  know  how  to  make  a  bargain  any 
more  than  one  of  the  children  there.  Well,  I'll  go 
10  the  shed  and  get  the  bosses,  and  we'll  make  a  pull 
for  home.  I  don't  believe  you'll  be  sorry  when  you 
g-et  there." 

Mr.  Jones  came  around  to  the  very  door  with  the 
rockaway,  and  we  tucked  my  wife  and  children  under 
the  buffalo  robes  and  blankets  till  they  could  hardly 
breathe.  Then  we  started  out  into  the  white,  spec 
tral  world,  for  the  wind  had  coated  everything  with 
the  soft,  wet  snow.  On  we  went  at  a  slow  walk,  for 
the  snow  and  mud  were  both  deep,  and  the  wheeling 
was  very  heavy  Even  John  Jones's  loquacity  was 
checked,  for  every  time  he  opened  his  mouth  the 
wind  half  filled  it  with  snow.  Some  one  ahead  of 


66  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN, 

us,  with  a  lantern,  guided  our  course  for  a  mile  or  so 
through  the  dense  obscurity,  and  then  he  turned  ofl 
on  another  road.  At  first  I  hailed  one  and  another 
in  the  black  cavern  of  the  rockaway  behind  me,  and 
their  mufHed  voices  would  answer,  "All  right."  But 
one  after  another  they  ceased  to  answer  me  until  all 
were  fast  asleep  except  my  wife.  She  insisted  that 
she  was  only  very  drowsy,  but  I  knew  that  she  was 
also  very,  very  tired.  Indeed,  I  felt  myself,  in  a  way 
that  frightened  me,  the  strange  desire  to  sleep  that 
overcomes  those  long  exposed  to  cold  and  wind. 

I  must  have  been  nodding  and  swaying  around 
rather  loosely,  when  I  felt  myself  going  heels  over 
head  into  the  snow.  As  I  picked  myself  up  I  heard 
my  wife  and  children  screaming,  and  John  Jones 
shouting  to  his  horses,  "Git  up,"  while  at  the  same 
time  he  lashed  them  with  his  whip.  My  face  was  sc 
plastered  with  snow  that  I  could  see  only  a  dark  ob 
ject  which  was  evidently  being  dragged  violently  out 
of  a  ditch,  for  when  the  level  road  was  reached,  Mr. 
Jones  shouted,  "  Whoa  !  " 

"  Robert,  are  you  hurt  ?  "  cried  my  wife. 

"No.     Are  you?" 

"  Not  a  bit,  but  I'm  frightened  to  death." 

Then  John  Jones  gave  a  hearty  guffaw,  and  said, 
*'  I  bet  you  our  old  shanghai  rooster  that  you  don't 
die/' 

"Take  you  up,"  answered  my  wife,  half  laughing 
and  half  crying. 

"Where  are  we  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I'm  here.  Haven't  the  remotest  idea  where  you 
foe/'  replied  Mr.  Jones. 


A   MARCH  EVENING   JN  EDEN.  6/ 

"  You  are  a  philosopher,"  I  said,  groping  my  way 
through  the  storm  toward  his  voice. 

"  I  believe  I  was  a  big  fool  for  tryin'  to  get  home 
such  a  night  as  this  ;  but  now  that  we've  set  about 
it,  we'd  better  get  there.  That's  right.  Scramble 
in  and  take  the  reins.  He/e's  my  mittens." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

11  I'm  going  to  'light  and  smell  out  the  road.  This 
is  equal  to  any  blizzard  I've  read  of  out  West." 

"  How  far  have  we  get  to  go  now  ?  " 

"  Half  a  mile,  as  nigh  as  I  can  make  out ; "  and 
we  jogged  on  again. 

"  Are  you  sure  you  are  not  hurt  ? "  Mousie  asked  me. 

"  Sure  ;  it  was  like  tumbling  into  a  feather  bed." 

"Stop  a  bit,"  cried  Mr.  Jones.  "There's  a  turn 
in  the  road  here.  Let  me  go  on  a  little  and  lay  out 
your  course." 

"  Oh,  I  wish  we  had  stayed  anywhere  under 
shelter,"  said  my  wife. 

"  Courage,"  I  cried.  "  When  we  get  home,  we'll 
laugh  over  this." 

"Now,"  shouted  Mr.  Jones,  "veer  gradually  off  to 
the  left  towards  my  voice  —  all  right;"  and  we 
jogged  on  again,  stopping  from  time  to  time  to  let 
our  invisible  guide  explore  the  road. 

Once  more  he  cried,  "Stop  a  minute." 

The  wind  roared  and  shrieked  around  us,  and  it 
was  growing  colder.  With  a  chill  of  fear  I  thought, 
"  Could  John  Jones  have  mistaken  the  road  ? "  and 
I  remembered  how  four  people  and  a  pair  of  horses 
had  been  frozen  within  a  few  yards  of  a  house  in  «i 
Western  snow-storm. 


68  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

"Are  you  cold,  children  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Yes,  I'm  freezing,"  sobbed  Winnie.  "I  don't 
like  the  country  one  bit." 

"This  is  different  from  the  Eden  of  which  we 
have  been  dreaming,"  I  thought,  grimly.  Then  I 
shouted,  "  How  much  farther,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

The  howling  of  the  wind  was  my  only  answer.  I 
shouted  again.  The  increasing  violence  of  the  tem 
pest  was  the  only  response. 

"  Robert,"  cried  my  wife,  "  I  don't  hear  Mr. 
Jones's  voice." 

"He  has  only  gone  on  a  little  to  explore,"  I  re 
plied,  although  my  teeth  chattered  with  cold  and  fear. 

"  Halloo  —  oo  !"  I  shouted.  The  answering  shriek 
of  the  wind  in  the  trees  overhead  chilled  my  very 
heart. 

"What  has  become  of  Mr.  Jones?"  asked  my 
wife,  and  there  was  almost  anguish  in  her  tone, 
while  Winnie  and  Bobsey  were  actually  crying  aloud. 

"Well,  my  dear,"  I  tried  to  say,  reassuringly, 
"  even  if  he  were  very  near  to  us  we  could  neither 
see  nor  hear  him." 

Moments  passed  which  seemed  like  ages,  and  I 
scarcely  knew  what  to  do.  The  absence  of  all  signs 
of  Mr.  Jones  filled  me  with  a  nameless  and  unspeak 
able  dread.  Could  anything  have  happened  to  him  ? 
Could  he  have  lost  his  way  and  fallen  into  some 
hole  or  over  some  steep  bank  ?  If  I  drove  on,  we 
might  tumble  after  him  and  perish,  maimed  and 
frozen,  in  the  wreck  of  the  wagon.  One  imagines  all 
sorts  of  horrible  things  when  alone  and  helpless  at 
night. 


A  MARCH  EVENING  IN  EDEN.  69 

"  Papa,"  cried  Merton,  "  I'll  get  out  and  look  for 
Mr.  Jones." 

"You  are  a  good,  brave  boy,"  I  replied.  "No; 
you  hold  the  reins,  and  I'll  look  for  him  and  see 
what  is  just  before  us." 

At  that  moment  there  was  a  glimmer  of  light  off 
to  the  left  of  us. 


TO  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

RESCUED   AND  AT  HOME. 

ALL  that  the  poets  from  the  beginning  of  time 
have  written  about  light  could  not  express  my 
joy  as  I  saw  that  glimmer  approaching  on  the  left. 
Before  it  appeared  I  had  been  awed  by  the  tempest, 
benumbed  with  cold,  shivering  in  my  wet  clothes, 
and  a  prey  to  many  terrible  fears  and  surmises ;  but 
now  I  cried,  "Cheer  up  ;  here  comes  a  light." 

Then  in  my  gladness  I  shouted  the  greeting  that 
met  Mr.  Jones  everywhere,  "  How  are  YOU,  JOHN  ? " 

A  great  guffaw  of  laughter  mingled  with  the  howl 
of  the  storm,  and  my  neighbor's  voice  followed  from 
the  obscurity  :  "  That's  famous,  —  keepin'  up  your 
courage  like  a  soldier." 

"Oh,  I  won't  brag  about  keeping  up  my  courage." 

"Guess  you  didn't  know  what  had  become  of 
me  ? " 

"You're  rigM,  and  we  didn't  know  what  was  to 
become  of  us.  Now  aren't  we  nearly  home  ?  Fcr 
we  are  all  half  frozen." 

"  Just  let  me  spy  a  bit  with  the  lantern,  and  1 11 
soon  tell  you  everything."  He  bobbed  back  and 
forth  for  a  moment  or  two  like  a  will-o'-the-wisp. 
"Now  turn  sharp  to  the  left,  and  follow  the  light." 


KSSCUED  AND  AT  HOMK.  71 

A  great  hope  sprung  up  in  my  heart,  and  I  hushed 
Winnie's  and  Bobsey's  crying  by  saying,  "  Listen,  and 
you'll  soon  hear  some  good  news." 

Our  wheels  crunched  through  the  deep  snow  for  a 
few  moments,  and  soon  I  saw  a  ruddy  light  shining 
from  the  window  of  a  dwelling,  and  then  Mr.  Jones 
shouted,  "Whoa!  'Light  down,  neighbors ;  you're 
pt  your  own  door." 

There  was  a  chorus  of  delighted  cries,  Merton 
half  tumbled  over  me  in  his  eagerness  to  get  down. 
A  door  opened,  and  out  poured  a  cheerful  glow.  Oh 
"he  delicious  sense  of  safety  and  warmth  given  by 
t  already! 

I  seized  Mousie,  floundered  through  the  snow  up 
to  my  knees,  and  placed  her  in  a  big  rocking-chair, 
Mr.  Jones  followed  with  Winnie,  and  Merton  came 
in  with  Bobsey  on  his  back.  The  little  fellow  was 
under  such  headway  in  crying  that  he  couldn't  stop 
at  once,  although  his  tears  were  rapidly  giving  place 
to  laughter.  I  rushed  back  and  carried  in  my  wife, 
and  then  said,  in  a  voice  a  little  unsteady  from  deep 
feeling,  "Welcome  home,  one  and  all." 

Never  did  the  word  mean  more  to  a  half-froze* 
and  badly  frightened  family.  At  first  safety,  warmth, 
and  comfort  were  uppermost  in  our  thoughts,  but  as 
wraps  were  taken  off,  and  my  wife  and  children 
thawed  out,  eager-eyed  curiosity  began  to  make  ex 
plorations.  Taking  Mousie  on  my  lap,  and  chafing 
her  hands,  I  answered  questions  and  enjoyed  to  the 
full  the  exclamations  of  pleasure. 

Mr.  Jones  lingered  for  a  few  moments,  then  gave 
one  of  his  big  guffaws  by  way  of  preface,  and  said: 


?2  DRIVEN'  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"  Well,  you  do  look  as  if  you  was  at  home  and  meant 
to  stay.  This  'ere  scene  kinder  makes  me  homesick  ; 
so  I'll  say  good-night,  and  I'll  be  over  in  the  mornin'. 
There's  some  lunch  on  the  table  that  my  wife  fixed 
up  for  you.  I  must  go,  for  I  hear  John  junior  holler- 
in'  for  me." 

His  only  response  to  our  profuse  thanks  was 
another  laugh,  which  the  wind  swept  away. 

"Who  is  John  junior?"  asked  Merton. 

"Mr.  Jones's  son,  a  boy  of  about  your  age.  He 
was  here  waiting  for  us,  and  keeping  the  fire  up. 
When  we  arrived  he  came  out  and  took  the  horses, 
and  so  you  didn't  see  him.  He'll  make  a  good  play 
mate  for  you.  To  use  his  father's  own  words,  '  He's 
a  fairish  boy  as  boys  go,'  and  that  from  John  Jones 
means  that  he's  a  good  fellow." 

Oh,  what  a  happy  group  we  were,  as  we  gathered 
around  the  great,  open  fire,  on  which  I  piled  more 
wood ! 

"  Do  you  wish  to  go  and  look  around  a  little  ? "  I 
asked  my  wife. 

"No,"  she  replied,  leaning  back  in  her  rocking- 
chair:  "let  me  take  this  in  first.  O  Robert,  I  have 
such  a  sense  of  rest,  quiet,  comfort,  and  hominess 
that  I  just  want  to  sit  still  and  enjoy  it  all.  The 
howling  of  the  storm  only  makes  this  place  seem 
more  like  a  refuge,  and  I'd  rather  hear  it  than  the 
Daggetts  tramping  overhead  and  the  Ricketts  chil 
dren  crying  down-stairs.  Oh,  isn't  it  nice  to  be  by 
ourselves  in  this  quaint  old  room  ?  Turn  the  lamp 
down,  Robert,  so  we  can  see  the  firelight  flicker  over 
everything.  Isn't  it  splendid?  —  just  like  a  picture 
in  a  book." 


RESCUED  AND  AT  HOME.  73 

"  No  picture  in  a  book,  Winifred,  —  no  artist  could 
paint  a  picture  that  would  have  the  charm  of  this 
one  for  me,"  I  replied,  leaning  my  elbow  on  the  end 
of  the  mantel-piece,  and  looking  fondly  down  on  the 
little  group.  My  wife's  face  looked  girlish  in  the 
ruddy  light,  "tfousie  gazed  into  the  fire  with  unspeak 
able  content,  and  declared  she  was  "too  happy  to 
think  of  taking  cold."  Winnie  and  Bobsey  were  sit 
ting,  Turk-fashion,  on  the  floor,  their  eyelids  drooping. 
The  long  cold  ride  had  quenched  even  their  spirit,  for 
after  running  around  a  few  moments  they  began  to 
yield  to  drowsiness.  Merton,  with  a  boy's  appetite, 
was  casting  wistful  glances  at  the  lunch  on  the  table, 
the  chief  feature  of  which  was  a  roast  chicken. 

There  seemed  to  be  no  occasion  for  haste.  I 
wished  to  let  the  picture  sink  deep  into  my  heart. 
At  last  my  wife  sprung  up  and  said  :  — 

"  I've  been  sentimental  long  enough.  You're  not 
of  much  account  in  the  house,  Robert,"  —  with  one 
of  her  saucy  looks,  —  "  and  I  must  see  to  things,  or 
Winnie  and  Bobsey  will  be  asleep  on  the  floor.  I 
feel  as  if  I  could  sit  here  till  morning,  but  I'll  come 
back  after  the  children  are  in  bed.  Come,  show  me 
my  home,  or  at  least  enough  of  it  to  let  me  see 
where  we  are  to  sleep." 

"We  shall  have  to  camp  again  to-night.  Mrs. 
Jones  has  made  up  the  one  bed  left  in  the  house, 
and  you  and  Mousie  shall  have  that.  We'll  fix 
Winnie  and  Bobsey  on  the  lounge ;  and,  youngsters, 
you  can  sleep  in  your  clothes,  just  as  soldiers  do  on 
the  ground.  Merton  and  I  will  doze  in  these  chairs 
before  the  fire.  To-rnorrow  night  we  can  all  be  very 
comfortable." 


74  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEtf. 

I  took  the  lamp  and  led  the  way,  —  my  wife, 
Mousie,  and  Merton  following,  —  first  across  a  little 
hall,  from  which  one  stairway  led  to  the  upper  cham. 
bers  and  another  to  the  cellar.  Opening  a  door 
opposite  the  living-room,  I  showed  Winifred  her 
parlor.  Cosey  and  comfortable  it  looked,  even  now. 
through  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones's  kind  offices.  A  morn 
ing-glory  stove  gave  out  abundant  warmth  and  a 
rich  light  which  blended  genially  with  the  red  colors 
of  the  carpet. 

"  Oh,  how  pretty  I  can  make  this  room  look  ! " 
exclaimed  my  wife. 

"Of  course  you  can  :  you've  only  to  enter  it." 

"  You  hurt  your  head  when  you  fell  out  of  tru. 
wagon,  Robert,  and  are  a  little  daft.  There's  no 
place  to  sleep  here." 

"  Come  to  the  room  over  this,  warmed  by  a  p  pe 
from  this  stove." 

"Ah,  this  is  capital,"  she  cried,  looking  around  an 
apartment  which  Mrs.  Jones  had  made  comfortable. 
"Wasn't  I  wise  when  I  decided  to  come  home?  It's 
just  as  warm  as  toast.  Now  let  the  wind  blow*- 
Why,  I  don't  hear  it  any  more.'' 

"  No,  the  gale  has  blown  itself  out.  Finding  that 
we  had  escaped,  it  got  discouraged  and  gave  u\\ 
Connected  with  this  room  is  another  for  Mousie  ai,d 
Winnie.  By  leaving  the  door  open  much  of  the 
time  it  will  be  warm  enough  for  them.  So  you  see 
this  end  of  the  house  can  be  heated  with  but  little 
trouble  and  expense.  The  open  fire  in  the  living- 
room  is  a  luxury  that  we  can  afford,  since  theie  is 
plenty  of  wood  on  the  place.  On  the  other  side  of 


RESCUED   AND   AT  HOME.  75 

the  hall  there  is  a  room  for  Merton.  Now  do  me  a 
favor :  don't  look,  or  talk,  or  think,  any  more  to-night. 
It  has  been  a  long,  hard  day.  Indeed  "  — looking  at 
my  watch  —  "  it  is  already  to-morrow  morning,  and 
you  know  how  much  we  shall  have  to  do.  Let  us 
go  back  and  get  a  little  supper,  and  then  take  all  the 
rest  we  can." 

Winifred  yielded,  and  Bobsey  and  Winnie  waked 
up  for  a  time  at  the  word  "supper."  Then  we  knelt 
around  our  hearth,  and  made  it  an  altar  to  God,  for 
I  wished  the  children  never  to  forget  our  need  of 
his  fatherly  care  and  help. 

"1  will  now  take  the  children  up-stairs  and  put 
them  to  bed,  and  then  come  back,  for  I  cannot  leave 
this  wood  fire  just  yet,"  remarked  my  wife. 

I  burst  out  laughing,  and  said,  "  You  have  never 
been  at  home  until  this  night,  when  you  are  camp 
ing  in  an  old  house  you  never  saw  before,  and  I  can 
prove  it  by  one  question,  —  When  have  you  taken 
the  children  up-stairs  to  bed  before  ?  " 

"  Why  —  why  —  never." 

"  Of  course  you  haven't,  —  city  flats  all  your  life. 
But  your  nature  is  not  perverted.  In  natural  homes 
for  generations  mothers  have  taken  their  children 
up-stairs  to  bed,  and,  forgetting  the  habit  of  your  life, 
you  speak  according  to  the  inherited  instinct  of  the 
mother-heart." 

"  O  Robert,  you  have  so  many  fine-spun  theories  ! 
Yet  it  is  a  little  queer.  It  seemed  just  as  natural 
for  me  to  say  up-stairs  as  —  " 

"As  it  was  for  your  mother,  grandmother,  and 
great-grandmother." 


76  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"Very  well.  We  are  in  such  an  old  house  that  I 
suppose  I  shall  begin  to  look  and  act  like  my  great- 
grandmother.  But  no  more  theories  to-night,  — 
nothing  but  rest  and  the  wood  fire." 

She  soon  joined  me  at  the  hearth  again.  Merton 
meanwhile  had  stretched  himself  on  the  rag-carpet, 
with  his  overcoat  for  a  pillow,  and  was  in  dreamless 
sleep.  My  wife's  eyes  were  full  of  languor.  She 
did  not  sit  down,  but  stood  beside  me  for  a  moment. 
Then,  laying  her  head  on  my  shoulder,  she  said, 
softly,  "  I  haven't  brains  enough  for  theories  and 
such  things,  but  I  will  try  to  make  you  all  happy 
here." 

"Dear  little  wife  !  "  I  laughed  ;  "when  has  woman 
hit  upon  a  higher  or  better  wisdom  than  that  of 
making  all  happy  in  her  own  home  ?  and  you  half 
asleep,  too." 

"Then  I'll  bid  you  good-night  at  once,  before  I 
say  something  awfully  stupid." 

Soon  the  old  house  was  quiet.  The  wind  had 
utterly  ceased.  I  opened  the  door  a  moment,  and 
looked  on  the  white,  still  world  without.  The  stars 
glittered  frostily  through  rifts  in  the  clouds.  Schune- 
munk  Mountain  was  a  shadow  along  the  western 
horizon,  and  the  eastern  highlands  banked  up  and 
blended  with  the  clouds.  Nature  has  its  restless 
moods,  its  storm  and  passion,  like  human  life  ;  but 
there  are  times  of  tranquillity  and  peace,  even  in 
March.  How  different  was  this  scene  from  the 
aspect  of  our  city  street  when  I  had  taken  my  fare 
well  look  at  a  late  hour  of  the  previous  night !  No 
grand  sweeping  outlines  there,  no  deep  quiet  and 


RESCUED   AND   AT  HOME.  77 

peace,  sootning  and  at  the  same  time  uplifting  the 
mind.  Even  at  midnight  there  is  an  uneasy  fretting 
in  city  life,  —  some  one  not  at  rest,  and  disturbing 
the  repose  of  others. 

I  stole  silently  through  the  house.  Here,  too,  all 
seemed  in  accord  with  nature.  The  life  of  a  good 
old  man  had  quietly  ceased  in  this  home ;  new,  hope 
ful  life  was  beginning.  Evil  is  everywhere  in  the 
world,  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  we  had  as  safe  a 
nook  as  could  be  found. 


;S  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

SELF-DENIAL   AND    ITS    REWARD. 

I  REMEMBER  little  that  followed  until  I  was 
startled  out  of  my  chair  by  a  loud  knocking. 
The  sunlight  was  streaming  in  at  the  window,  and 
John  Jones's  voice  was  at  the  door. 

"  I  think  we  have  all  overslept,"  I  said,  as  I  ad 
mitted  him. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it.  Every  wink  you've  had  after 
such  a  day  as  yesterday  is  like  money  put  in  the 
bank.  But  the  sleighing  is  better  now  than  it  will 
be  late  in  the  day.  The  sun'll  be  pretty  powerful 
by  noon,  and  the  snow'll  soon  be  slush.  Now's 
your  chance  to  get  your  traps  up  in  a  hurry.  I  can 
have  a  two-hoss  sled  ready  in  half  an  hour,  and  if 
you  say  so  I  can  hire  a  big  sleigh  of  a  neighbor,  and 
we'll  have  everything  here  by  dinner-time.  After 
you  get  things  snug,  you  won't  care  if  the  bottom 
does  fall  out  of  the  roads  for  a  time.  Well,  you 
have  had  to  rough  it.  Merton  might  have  come  and 
stayed  with  us." 

"  Oh,  I'm  all  right,"  said  the  boy,  rubbing  his  eyes 
open  as  he  rose  from  the  floor,  at  the  same  time 
learning  from  stiff  joints  that  a  carpet  is  not  a  mat 
tress. 


SELF-DENIAL   AND  ITS  REWARD.  79 

"Nothing  would  suit  me  better,  Mr.  Jones,  than 
your  plan  of  prompt  action,  and  I'm  the  luckiest  man 
in  the  world  in  having  such  a  long-headed,  fore-handed 
neighbor  to  start  with.  I  know  you'll  make  a  good 
bargain  for  the  other  team,  and  before  I  sleep  to- 
night  I  wish  to  square  up  for  everything.  I  mean 
at  least  to  begin  business  in  this  way  at  Maizeville." 

"Oh,  go  slow,  go  slow!"  said  Mr.  Jones.  "The 
town  will  mob  you  if  they  find  you've  got  ready 
money  in  March.  John  junior  will  be  over  with  a 
pot  of  coffee  and  a  jug  of  milk  in  a  few  minutes,  and 
we'll  be  off  sharp." 

There  was  a  patter  of  feet  overhead,  and  soon 
Bobsey  came  tearing  down,  half  wild  with  excite 
ment  over  the  novelty  of  everything.  He  started 
for  the  door  as  if  he  were  going  head  first  into  the 
snow. 

I  caught  him,  and  said  :  "  Do  you  see  that  chair  ? 
Well,  we  all  have  a  busy  day  before  us.  You  can 
help  a  good  deal,  and  play  a  little,  but  you  can't  hin 
der  and  pester  according  to  your  own  sweet  will 
one  bit.  You  must  either  obey  orders  or  else  be 
put  under  arrest  and  tied  in  the  chair." 

To  go  into  the  chair  to-day  would  be  torture  in 
deed,  and  the  little  fellow  was  sobered  at  once. 

The  others  soon  joined  us,  eager  to  see  every 
thing  by  the  broad  light  of  day,  and  to  enter  upon 
the  task  of  getting  settled.  We  had  scarcely  come 
together  before  John  junior  appeared  with  the  chief 
features  of  our  breakfast.  The  children  scanned 
this  probable  playmate  very  curiously,  and  some  of 
us  could  hardly  repress  a  smile  at  his  appearance. 


8O  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN'. 

He  was  even  more  sandy  than  his  father.  Indeed 
his  hair  and  eyebrows  were  nearly  white,  but  out  of 
his  red  and  almost  full-moon  face  his  mother's  black 
eyes  twinkled  shrewdly.  They  now  expressed  only 
good-will  and  bashfulness.  Every  one  of  us  shook 
hands  with  him  so  cordially  that  his  boy's  heart  was 
evidently  won. 

Merton,  to  break  the  ice  more  fully,  offered  to 
show  him  his  gun,  which  he  had  kept  within  reach 
ever  since  we  left  the  boat.  It  made  him  feel  more 
like  a  pioneer,  no  doubt.  As  he  took  it  from  its 
stout  cloth  cover  I  saw  John  junior's  eyes  sparkle. 
Evidently  a  deep  chord  was  touched.  He  said,  ex 
citedly:  "To-day's  your  time  to  try  it.  A  rabbit 
can't  stir  without  leaving  his  tracks,  and  the  snow 
is  so  deep  and  soft  that  he  can't  get  away.  There's 
rabbits  on  your  own  place." 

"O  papa,"  cried  my  boy,  fairly  trembling  with 
eagerness,  "  can't  I  go  ?  " 

"I  need  you  very  much  this  morning." 

"But,  papa,  others  will  be  out  before  me,  and  I 
may  lose  my  chance ; ''  and  he  was  half  ready  to 
cry. 

"  Yes,"  I  said  ;  "  there  is  a  risk  of  that.  Well,  you 
shall  decide  in  this  case,"  I  added,  after  a  moment, 
seeing  a  chance  to  do  a  little  character-building.  "  It 
is  rarely  best  to  put  pleasure  before  business  or  pru 
dence.  If  you  go  out  into  the  snow  with  those 
boots,  you  will  spoil  them,  and  very  probably  take  a 
severe  cold.  Yet  you  may  go  if  you  will.  If  you 
help  me,  we  can  be  back  by  ten  o'clock,  and  I  will 
get  you  a  pair  of  rubber  boots  as  we  return." 


SELF-DENIAL   AND   ITS  REWARD.  8 1 

"Will  there  be  any  chance  after  ten  o'clock?"  he 
asked,  quickly. 

"Well,"  said  John  junior,  in  his  matter-of-fact 
way,  "that  depends.  As  your  pa  says,  there's  a 
risk." 

The  temptation  was  too  strong  for  the  moment. 
"  O  dear  !  "  exclaimed  Merton,  "  I  may  never  have  so 
good  a  chance  again.  The  snow  will  soon  melt,  and 
there  won't  be  any  more  till  next  winter.  I'll  tie 
my  trousers  down  about  my  boots,  and  I'll  help  all 
the  rest  of  the  day  after  I  get  back." 

'Very  well,"  I  said,  quietly;  and  he  began  eating 
his  breakfast  —  the  abundant  remains  of  our  last 
night's  lunch — very  rapidly,  while  John  junior 
started  off  to  get  his  gun. 

I  saw  that  Merton  was  ill  at  ease,  but  I  made  a 
sign  to  his  mother  not  to  interfere.  More  and  more 
slowly  he  finished  his  breakfast,  then  took  his  gun 
and  went  to  the  room  that  would  be  his,  to  load  and 
prepare.  At  last  he  came  down  and  went  out  by 
another  door,  evidently  not  wishing  to  encounter  me. 
John  junior  met  him,  and  the  boys  were  starting, 
when  John  senior  drove  into  the  yard  and  shouted, 
"John  junior,  step  here  a  moment." 

The  boy  returned  slowly,  Merton  following.  "  You 
ain't  said  nothin'  to  me  about  goin'  off  with  that 
gun,"  continued  Mr.  Jones,  severely. 

"Well,  Merton's  pa  said  he  might  go  if  he  wanted 
to,  and  I  had  to  go  along  to  show  him." 

"  That  first  shot  wasn't  exactly  straight,  my  young 
friend  John.  I  told  Merton  that  it  wasn't  best  to 
put  pleasure  before  business,  but  that  he  could  go  if 


82  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

he  would.  I  wished  to  let  him  choose  to  do  right, 
instead  of  making  him  do  right." 

"Oho,  that's  how  the  land  lays.  Well,  John  jun 
ior,  you  can  have  your  choice,  too.  You  may  go 
right  on  with  your  gun,  but  you  know  the  length  and 
weight  of  that  strap  at  home.  Now  will  you  help 
me  ?  or  go  after  rabbits  ?  " 

The  boy  grinned  pleasantly,  and  replied,  "  If  you 
had  said  I  couldn't  go,  I  wouldn't ;  but  if  it's  choosin' 
between  shootin'  rabbits  and  a  strappin'  afterwards  — 
come  along,  Merton." 

"Well,  go  along  then,"  chuckled  his  father; 
"you've  made  your  bargain  square,  and  I'll  keep  my 
part  of  it." 

"Oh,  hang  the  rabbits!  You  sha'n't  have  any 
strapping  on  my  account,"  cried  Merton ;  and  he 
carried  his  gun  resolutely  to  his  room  and  locked 
the  door  on  it. 

John  junior  quietly  went  to  the  old  barn,  and  hid 
his  gun. 

"  Guess  I'll  go  with  you,  pa,"  he  said,  joining  us. 

"Ha,  ha,  ha!"  laughed  Mr.  Jones.  "It  was  a 
good  bargain  to  back  out  of.  Come  now,  let's  all 
be  off  as  quick  as  we  can.  Neighbor  Rollins  down 
the  road  will  join  us  as  we  go  along." 

"  Merton,"  I  said,  "  see  if  there  isn't  a  barrel  of 
apples  in  the  cellar.  If  you  find  one,  you  can  fill 
your  pockets." 

He  soon  returned  with  bulging  pockets  and  a 
smiling  face,  feeling  that  such  virtue  as  he  had  shown 
had  soon  brought  reward.  My  wife  said  that  while 
we  were  gone  she  and  the  children  would  explore  the 


1'HE   COUNTRY    HOMIC    IN    WINTKR. 


84  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

house  and  plan  how  to  arrange  everything.  We 
started  in  good  spirits. 

"  Here's  where  you  thought  you  was  cast  away  last 
night,"  Mr.  Jones  remarked,  as  we  passed  out  of  the 
lane. 

The  contrast  made  by  a  few  short  hours  was  indeed 
wonderful.  Then,  in  dense  obscurity,  a  tempest  had 
howled  and  shrieked  about  us ;  now,  in  the  un 
clouded  sunshine,  a  gemmed  and  sparkling  world 
revealed  beauty  everywhere. 

For  a  long  distance  our  sleighs  made  the  first 
tracks,  and  it  seemed  almost  a  pity  to  sully  the  purity 
of  the  white,  drift-covered  road. 

"What  a  lot  of  mud's  hid  under  this  snow!"  was 
John  Jones's  prose  over  the  opening  vistas.  "  What's 
more,  it  will  show  itself  before  night.  We  can  beat 
all  creation  at  mud  in  Maizeville,  when  once  we  set 
about  it." 

Merton  laughed,  and  munched  his  apples,  but  I  saw 
that  he  was  impressed  by  winter  scenery  such  as  he 
had  never  looked  upon  before.  Soon,  however,  he 
and  John  junior  were  deep  in  the  game  question,  and 
I  noted  that  the  latter  kept  a  sharp  lookout  along 
the  roadside.  Before  long,  while  passing  a  thicket, 
he  shouted,  "There's  tracks,"  and  floundered  out  into 
the  snow,  Merton  following. 

"  Oh,  come  back,"  growled  his  father. 

"Let  the  boys  have  a  few  moments,"  I  said. 
"  They  gave  up  this  morning  about  as  well  as  you 
could  expect  of  boys.  Would  Junior  have  gone  and 
taken  a  strapping  if  Merton  hadn't  returned  ? " 

"  Yes  indeed  he  would,  and  he  knows  my  strappin's 


SELF-DENIAL   AND   ITS  REWARD.  85 

arc  no  make-believe.  That  boy  has  no  sly,  mean 
tracks  to  speak  of,  but  he's  as  tough  and  obstinate  as 
a  mule  sometimes,  especially  about  shooting  and 
fishing.  See  him  now  a-p'intin'  for  that  rabbit,  like 
a  hound." 

True  enough,  the  boy  was  showing  good  woodcraft. 
Restraining  Merton,  he  cautiously  approached  the 
tracks,  which  by  reason  of  the  lightness  and  depth  of 
the  snow  were  not  very  distinct. 

"  He  can't  be  far  away,"  said  Junior,  excitedly. 
"  Don't  go  too  fast  till  I  see  which  way  he  was  a-p'int 
in'.  We  don't  want  to  follow  the  tracks  back,  but 
for'ard.  See,  he  came  out  of  that  old  wall  there,  he 
went  to  these  bushes  and  nibbled  some  twigs,  and 
here  he  goes,  —  here  he  went,  —  here,  —  here,  —  yes, 
he  went  into  the  wall  again  just  here.  Now,  Merton, 
watch  this  hole  while  I  jump  over  the  other  side  of 
the  fence  and  see  if  he  comes  out  again.  If  he 
makes  a  start,  grab  him." 

John  Jones  and  I  were  now  almost  as  excited  as 
the  boys,  and  Mr.  Rollins,  the  neighbor  who  was 
following  us,  was  standing  up  in  his  sleigh  to  see 
the  sport.  It  came  quickly.  As  if  by  some  instinct 
the  rabbit  believed  Junior  to  be  the  more  dangerous, 
and  made  a  break  from  the  wall  almost  at  Merton's 
feet,  with  such  swiftness  and  power  as  to  dash  by  him 
like  a  shot.  The  first  force  of  its  bound  over,  it  was 
caught  by  nature's  trap,  —  snow  too  deep  and  soft  to 
admit  of  rapid  running. 

John  Jones  soon  proved  that  Junior  came  honestly 
by  his  passion  for  hunting.  In  a  moment  he  was 
floundering  through  the  bushes  with  his  son  and 


86 


DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN 


Merton.  In  such  pursuit  of  game  my  boy  had  the 
advantage,  for  he  was  as  agile  as  a  cat.  But  a 
moment  or  two  elapsed  before  he  caught  up  with  the 
rabbit,  and  threw  himself  upon  it,  then  rose,  white  as 
a  snow-man,  shouting  triumphantly  and  holding  the 
little  creature  aloft  by  its  ears. 

"  Never  rate  Junior  for  hunting  again,"  I  said,  laugh 
ingly,  to  Mr.  Jones.     "  He's  a  chip  of  the  old  block." 


THE   HOME  OF  THE   RABBIT. 


"I  rather  guess  he  is."  my  neighbor  acknowledged, 
with  a  grin.  "  I  own  up  I  used  to  be  pretty  hot  on  such 
larkin'.  We  all  keep  forgettin'  we  was  boys  once." 

As  we  rode  on,  Merton  was  a  picture  of  exultation, 
and  Junior  was  on  the  sharp  lookout  again.  His 
father  turned  on  him  and  said :  "  Now  look  a*  here, 
enough's  as  good  as  a  feast.  I'll  blindfold  you  if  you 
don't  let  the  tracks  alone.  Mrs.  Durham  wants  her 
things,  so  she  can  begin  to  live.  Get  up  there  ; "  and 
a  crack  of  the  whip  ended  all  further  hopes  on  the 
part  of  the  boys.  But  they  felt  well  repaid  for  com 
ing,  and  Merton  assured  Junior  that  he  deserved  half 
the  credit,  for  only  he  knew  how  to  manage  the  hunt 


88  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

OUR    SUNNY    KITCHEN. 

"OEFORE  we  reached  the  landing  I  had  invested 
-LJ  a  goodly  sum  in  four  pairs  01  rubber  boots,  for  I 
knew  how  hopeless  it  would  be  to  try  to  keep  Winnie 
and  Bobsey  indoors.  As  for  Mousie,  she  would  have 
to  be  prudent  until  the  ground  should  become  dry 
and  warm. 

There  is  no  need  of  dwelling  long  on  the  bringing 
home  of  our  effects  and  the  getting  to  rights.  We 
were  back  soon  after  ten,  and  found  that  Winnie  and 
Bobsey,  having  exhausted  the  resources  of  the  house, 
had  been  permitted  to  start  at  the  front  door,  and, 
with  an  old  fire-shovel  and  a  piece  of  board,  had  well- 
nigh  completed  a  path  to  the  well,  piling  up  the  snow 
as  they  advanced,  so  that  their  overshoes  were  a  suffi 
cient  protection. 

After  we  had  carried  in  the  things  I  interceded 
with  Mr.  Jones  and  then  told  the  boys  that  they 
could  take  their  guns  and  be  absent  two  or  three 
hours  if  they  would  promise  to  help  faithfully  the  rest 
of  the  day. 

I  had  bought  at  Maizeville  Landing  such  pro 
visions,  tools,  etc.,  as  I  should  need  immediately. 


OUR  SUNNY  KITCHEN.  89 

Therefore  I  did  not  worry  because  the  fickle  March 
sky  was  clouding  up  again  with  the  promise  of  rain. 
A  heavy  downpour  now  with  snow  upon  the  ground 
would  cause  almost  a  flood,  but  I  felt  that  we  could 
shut  the  door  and  find  the  old  house  a  very  comfort 
able  ark. 

"  A  smart  warm  rain  would  be  the  best  thing  that 
could  happen  to  yer,"  said  Mr.  Jones,  as  he  helped  me 
carry  in  furniture  and  put  up  beds ;  "  it  would  take 
the  snow  off.  Nat'rally  you  want  to  get  out  on  the 
bare  ground,  for  there's  allus  a  lot  of  clearin'  up  to 
be  done  in  the  spring,  and  old  man  Jamison  was  poorly 
last  year,  and  didn't  keep  things  up  to  the  mark." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "I  am  as  eager  to  get  to  work 
outdoors  as  the  boys  were  to  go  after  rabbits.  I 
believe  I  shall  like  the  work,  but  that  is  not  the 
question.  I  did  not  come  to  the  country  to  amuse 
myself,  like  so  many  city  people.  I  don't  blame 
them  ;  I  wish  I  could  afford  farming  for  fun.  I  came 
to  earn  a  living  for  my  wife  and  children,  and  I  am 
anxious  to  be  about  it.  I  won't  ask  you  for  anything 
except  advice.  I've  only  had  a  city  training,  and  my 
theories  about  farming  would  perhaps  make  you 
smile.  But  I've  seen  enough  of  you  already  to  feel 
that  you  are  inclined  to  be  kind  and  neighborly,  and 
the  best  way  to  show  this  will  be  in  helping  me  to 
good,  sound,  practical,  common-sense  advice.  But 
you  mustn't  put  on  airs,  or  be  impatient  with  me. 
Shrewd  as  you  are,  I  could  show  you  some  things  in 
the  city." 

"Oh,  I'd  be  a  sight  queerer  there  than  you  here. 
I  see  your  p'int,  and  if  you'll  come  to  me  I  won't  let 


90  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN". 

you  make  no  blunders  I  wouldn't  make  myself.     Per 
haps  that  ain't  saying  a  great  deal,  though." 

By  this  time  everything  had  been  brought  in 
and  either  put  in  place  or  stowed  out  of  the  way, 
until  my  wife  could  decide  where  and  how  she  would 
arrange  things. 

"Now,"  I  said,  when  we  had  finished,  "carry  out 
our  agreement." 

Mr.  Jones  gave  me  a  wink  and  drove  away. 

Our  agreement  was  this,  —  first,  that  he  and  Mr. 
Rollins,  the  owner  of  the  other  team,  should  be  paid 
in  full  before  night ;  and  second,  that  Mrs.  Jones 
should  furnish  us  our  dinner,  in  which  the  chief  dish 
should  be  a  pot-pie  from  the  rabbit  caught  by  Merton, 
and  that  Mr.  Jones  should  bring  everything  over  at 
one  o'clock. 

My  wife  was  so  absorbed  in  unpacking  her  china, 
kitchen-utensils,  and  groceries  that  she  was  unaware 
of  the  flight  of  time,  but  at  last  she  suddenly  ex 
claimed,  "I  declare  it's  dinner-time!" 

"Not  quite  yet,"  I  said;  "dinner  will  be  ready  at 
one." 

"  It  will  ?  Oh,  indeed  !  since  we  are  in  the  coun 
try  we  are  to  pick  up  what  we  can,  like  the  birds. 
You  intend  to  invite  us  all  down  to  the  apple  barrel, 
perhaps." 

"  Certainly,  whenever  you  wish  to  go ;  but  we'll 
have  a  hot  dinner  at  one  o'clock,  and  a  game  dinner 
into  the  bargain." 

"  I've  heard  the  boys'  guns  occasionally,  but  I 
haven't  seen  the  game,  and  it's  after  twelve  now." 

"Papa  has  a  secret, — a  surprise  for  us,"  cried 
Mousie  :  "I  can  sec  it  in  his  eves." 


OUR   SUNNY  KITCHEN.  9 1 

"  Now,  Robert,  I  know  what  you've  been  doing. 
You  have  asked  Mrs.  Jones  to  furnish  a  dinner. 
You  are  extravagant,  for  I  could  have  picked  up 
something  that  would  have  answered." 

"  No  ;  I've  been  very  prudent  in  saving  your  time 
and  strength,  and  saving  these  is  sometimes  the  best 
economy  in  the  world.  Mousie  is  nearer  right. 
The  dinner  is  a  secret,  and  it  has  been  furnished 
chiefly  by  one  of  the  family." 

"  Well,  I'm  too  busy  to  guess  riddles  to-day ;  but 
if  my  appetite  is  a  guide,  it  is  nearly  time  we  had 
your  secret." 

"  You  would  not  feel  like  that  after  half  an  hour 
over  a  hot  stove.  Now  you  will  be  interrupted,  in 
getting  to  rights,  only  long  enough  to  eat  your  din 
ner.  Then  Mousie  and  Merton  and  Winnie  will 
clear  up  everything,  and  before  night  you  will  fee! 
settled  enough  to  take  things  easy  till  to-morrow." 

"  I  know  your  thoughtf ulness  for  me,  if  not  your 
secret,"  she  said,  gratefully,  and  was  again  putting 
things  where,  from  housewifely  experience,  she  knew 
they  would  be  handy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jamison  had  clung  to  their  old- 
fashioned  ways,  and  had  done  their  cooking  over  the 
open  fire,  using  the  swinging  crane  which  is  now 
employed  chiefly  in  pictures.  This,  for  the  sake  of 
the  picture  it  made,  we  proposed  to  keep  as  it  had 
been  left,  although  at  times  it  might  answer  some 
more  prosaic  purpose. 

At  the  eastern  end  of  the  house  was  a  single  room, 
added  unknown  years  ago,  and  designed  to  be  a  bed 
chamber.  Of  late  it  had  been  used  as  a  general  stor- 


92  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

age  and  lumber  room,  and  when  I  first  inspected  the 
house,  I  had  found  little  in  this  apartment  of  service 
to  us.  So  I  had  asked  Mr.  Jones  to  remove  all  that 
I  did  not  care  for,  and  to  have  the  room  cleansed/ 
satisfied  that  it  would  just  suit  my  wife  as  a  kitchen. 
It  was  large,  having  windows  facing  the  east  and 
south,  and  therefore  it  would  be  light  and  cheerful, 
as  a  kitchen  ever  should  be,  especially  when  the  mis 
tress  of  the  house  is  cook.  There  Mr.  Jones  and  I 
set  up  the  excellent  stove  that  I  had  brought  from 
New  York,  —  one  to  which  my  wife  was  accustomed, 
and  from  which  she  could  conjure  a  rare  good  dinner 
when  she  gave  her  mind  to  it.  Now  as  she  moved 
back  and  forth,  in  such  sunlight  as  the  clouding 
sky  permitted,  she  appeared  the  picture  of  pleased 
content. 

"It  cheers  one  up  to  enter  a  kitchen  like  this," 
she  said. 

"  It  is  to  be  your  garden  for  a  time  also,"  I  explained 
to  Mousie.  "  I  shall  soon  have  by  this  east  window 
a  table  with  shallow  boxes  of  earth,  and  in  them  you 
can  plant  some  of  your  flower-seeds.  I  only  ask  that 
I  may  have  two  of  the  boxes  for  early  cabbages,  let 
tuce,  tomatoes,  etc.  You  and  your  plants  can  take 
a  sun-bath  every  morning  until  it  is  warm  enough 
to  go  out  of  doors,  and  you'll  find  the  plants  won't 
die  here  as  they  did  in  the  dark,  gas-poisoned  city 
flat." 

"  I  feel  as  if  I  were  going  to  grow  faster  and 
stronger  than  the  plants,"  cried  the  happy  child. 

Junior  and  Merton  now  appeared,  each  carrying  a 
rabbit.  My  boy's  face,  however,  was  clouded,  and 


OUR  SUNNY  KITCHEN. 


93 


he  said,  a  little  despondently,  "  I  can't  shoot  straight, 
—  missed  every  time;  and  Junior  shot  'em  after  I 
had  fired  and  missed." 

" Pshaw!"  cried 
Junior;  "  Merton's 
got  to  learn  to  take 
a  quick,  steady 
sight,  like  every 
one  else.  He  gets 
too  excited." 

" That's  just  it, 
my  boy,"  I  said. 
"  You  shall  go  down 
by  the  creek  and 
fire  at  a  mark  a 
few  times  every 
day,  and  you'll  soon 

hit  it  every  time.  Junior's  head  is  too  level  to  think 
that  anything  can  be  done  well  without  practice. 
Now,  Junior,"  I  added,  "run  over  home  and  help 
your  father  bring  us  our  dinner,  and  then  you  stay 
and  help  us  eat  it." 

Father  and  son  soon  appeared,  well  laden.  Winnie 
and  Bobsey  came  in  ravenous  from  their  path-mak 
ing,  and  all  agreed  that  we  had  already  grown  one 
vigorous  rampant  Maizeville  crop,  —  an  appetite. 

The  pot-pie  was  exulted  over,  and  the  secret  of  its 
existence  explained.  Even  Junior  laughed  till  the 
tears  came  as  I  described  him,  his  father,  and  Mer- 
ton,  floundering  through  the  deep  snow  after  the 
rabbit,  and  we  all  congratulated  Merton  as  the  one 
who  had  provided  our  first  country  dinner. 


TRYING  THE  GUN. 


94  DRIVER  BACK  TO   EDEN. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

MAKING    A    PLACE    FOR    CHICKENS. 

[)%EFORE  the  meal  was  over,  I  said,  seriously, 
13  "  Now,  boys,  there  must  be  no  more  hunting 
until  I  find  out  about  the  game-laws.  They  should 
be  obeyed,  especially  by  sportsmen.  I  don't  think 
that  we  are  forbidden  to  kill  rabbits  on  our  own 
place,  particularly  when  they  threaten  to  be  trouble 
some  ;  and  the  hunt  this  morning  was  so  unexpected 
that  I  did  not  think  of  the  law,  which  might  be  used 
to  make  us  trouble.  You  killed  the  other  rabbits  on 
this  place,  Junior  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  both  of  'em." 

"Well,  hereafter  you  must  look  after  hawks,  and 
other  enemies  of  poultry.  Especially  do  I  hope  you 
will  never  fire  at  our  useful  song-birds.  If  boys 
throughout  the  country  would  band  together  to  pro 
tect  game  when  out  of  season,  they  would  soon  have 
fine  sport  in  the  autumn." 

In  the  afternoon  we  let  Winnie  and  Bobsey  ex 
pend  their  energy  in  making  paths  and  lanes  in 
every  direction  through  the  snow,  which  was  melt 
ing  rapidly  in  the  south  wind.  By  three  o'clock  the 
rain  began  to  fall,  and  when  darkness  set  in  there 


MAKING  A   PLACE  FOR   CHICKENS.  95 

was  a  gurgling  sound  of  water  on  every  side.  Our 
crackling  fire  made  the  warmth  and  comfort  within 
seem  tenfold  more  cheery. 

A  hearty  supper,  prepared  in  our  own  kitchen, 
made  us  feel  that  our  home  machinery  had  fairly 
started,  and  we  knew  that  it  would  run  more  and 
more  smoothly.  March  was  keeping  up  its  bad  name 
for  storm  and  change.  The  wind  was  again  roaring, 
but  laden  now  with  rain,  and  in  gusty  sheets  the 
heavy  drops  dashed  against  the  windows.  But  our 
old  house  kept  us  dry  and  safe,  although  it  rocked  a 
little  in  the  blasts.  They  soon  proved  a  lullaby  for 
our  second  night  at  home. 

After  breakfast  the  following  morning,  with  Mer- 
ton,  Winnie,  and  Bobsey,  I  started  out  to  see  if  any 
damage  had  been  done.  The  sky  was  still  clouded, 
but  the  rain  had  ceased.  Our  rubber  boots  served 
us  well,  for  the  earth  was  like  an  over-full  sponge, 
while  down  every  little  incline  and  hollow  a  stream 
was  murmuring. 

The  old  barn  showed  the  need  of  a  good  many 
nails  to  be  driven  here  and  there,  and  a  deal  of  mend 
ing.  Then  it  would  answer  for  corn-stalks  and  other 
coarse  fodder.  The  new  barn  had  been  fairly  built, 
and  the  interior  was  dry.  It  still  contained  as  much 
hay  as  would  be  needed  for  the  keeping  of  a  horse 
and  cow  until  the  new  crop  should  be  harvested. 

"Papa,"  cried  Winnie,  "where  is  the  chicken 
place  ? " 

"That  is  one  of  the  questions  we  must  settle  at 
once,"  I  replied.  "As  we  were  coming  out  I  saw  an 
old  coop  in  the  orchard.  We'll  go  and  look  at  it" 


96  DRIVEN  BACK  TO   EDEN. 

It  was  indeed  old  and  leaky,  and  had  poultry  been 
there  the  previous  night  they  would  have  been  half 
drowned  on  their  perches.  "This  might  do  for  a 
summer  cottage  for  your  chickens,  Winnie,"  I  con 
tinued,  "but  never  for  a  winter  house.  Let  us  go 
back  to  the  barn,  for  I  think  I  remember  a  place  that 
will  just  suit,  with  some  changes." 

Now  the  new  barn  had  been  built  on  a  hillside,  and 
had  an  ample  basement,  from  which  a  room  extending 
well  into  the  bank  had  been  partitioned,  thus  promis 
ing  all  one  could  desire  as  a  cellar  for  apples  and 
roots.  The  entrance  to  this  basement  faced  the  east, 
and  on  each  side  of  it  was  a  window.  To  the  right 
of  the  entrance  were  two  cow-stalls,  and  to  the  left 
was  an  open  space  half  full  of  mouldy  corn-stalks  and 
other  rubbish. 

"  See  here,  Winnie  and  Merton,"  I  said,  after  a 
little  examination,  "  I  think  we  could  clear  out  this 
space  on  the  left,  partition  it  off,  make  a  door,  and 
keep  the  chickens  here.  After  that  window  is 
washed,  a  good  deal  of  sunlight  can  come  in.  I've 
read  that  in  cold  weather  poultry  need  warmth  and 
light,  and  must  be  kept  dry.  Here  we  can  secure 
all  these  conditions.  Having  a  home  for  ourselves, 
suppose  we  set  to  work  to  make  a  home  for  the 
chickens." 

This  idea  delighted  Winnie,  and  pleased  Merton 
almost  as  much  as  hunting  rabbits.  "  Now,"  I  re 
sumed,  "we  will  go  to  the  house  and  get  what  we 
need  for  the  work." 

"Winifred,"  I  said  to  my  wife,  "can  you  let  Win 
nie  have  a  small  pail  of  hot  water  and  some  old  rags?" 


MAKING   A    PLACE   FOR   CHICKENS.  $? 

•'What  are  you  up  to  now  ? " 

"  You  know  all  about  cleaning  house ;  we  are  go 
ing  to  clean  barn,  and  make  a  place  for  Winnie's 
chickens.  There  is  a  window  in  their  future  bed 
room —  roost-room  I  suppose  I  should  call  it  —  that 
looks  as  if  it  had  never  been  washed,  and  to  get  off 
the  dust  of  years  will  be  Winnie's  task,  while  Merton, 
Bobsey,  and  I  create  an  interior  that  should  satisfy  a 
knowing  hen.  We'll  make  nests,  too,  children,  that 
will  suggest  to  the  biddies  that  they  should  proceed 
at  once  to  business." 

"  But  where  are  the  chickens  to  come  from  ? "  my 
wife  asked,  as  she  gave  the  pan  to  Merton  to  carry 
for  his  sister. 

"  Oh,  John  Jones  will  put  me  in  the  way  of  getting 
them  soon  ; "  and  we  started  out  to  our  morning's 
work.  Mousie  looked  after  us  wistfully,  but  her 
mother  soon  found  light  tasks  for  her,  and  she  too 
felt  that  she  was  helping.  "  Remember,  Mousie," 
I  said,  in  parting,  "that  I  have  three  helpers,  and 
surely  mamma  needs  one ; "  and  she  was  content. 

Merton  at  first  was  for  pitching  all  the  old  stalks 
out  into  the  yard,  but  I  said  :  "  That  won't  do.  We 
shall  need  a  cow  as  well  as  chickens,  and  these  stalks 
must  be  kept  dry  for  her  bedding.  We'll  pile  them 
up  in  the  inner  empty  stall.  You  can  help  at  that, 
Bobsey  ; "  and  we  set  to  work. 

Under  Winnie's  quick  hands  more  and  more  light 
came  through  the  window.  With  a  fork  I  lifted  and 
shook  up  the  stalks,  and  the  boys  carried  them  to  the 
empty  stall.  At  last  we  came  to  rubbish  that  was 
so  damp  and  decayed  that  it  would  be  of  no  service 


Cfi  OKI  TEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

indoors,  so  we  placed  it  on  a  barrow,  and  I  wheeled 
it  out  to  one  corner  of  the  yard.  At  last  we  came 
down  to  a  hard  earth  floor,  and  with  a  hoe  this  was 
cleared  and  made  smooth. 

"  Merton,"  I  said,  "  I  saw  an  old  broom  upstairs. 
Run  and  get  it,  and  we'll  brush  down  the  cobwebs 
and  sweep  out,  and  then  we  shall  be  ready  to  see 
about  the  partition." 


GOOD  BARGAINS  AND   MAPLE  SUGAR.          99 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

GOOD  BARGAINS  AND  MAPLE  SUGAR, 

BY  eleven  o'clock  we  had  all  the  basement  cleaned 
except  the  one  cow-stall  that  was  filled  to  the 
ceiling  with  litter ;  and  Winnie  had  washed  the  win 
dows.  Then  John  Jones's  lank  figure  darkened  the 
doorway,  and  he  cried,  "  Hello,  neighbor,  what  ye 
drivin'  at  ? " 

"  Look  around  and  see,  and  then  tell  us  where  to 
get  a  lot  of  chickens/' 

"  Well,  I  declare  !  How  you've  slicked  things  up  i 
You're  not  goin'  to  scrub  the  dirt  floor,  are  you  ? 
Well,  well,  this  looks  like  business, — just  the  place 
for  chickens.  Wonder  old  man  Jamison  didn't  keep 
'em  here ;  but  he  didn't  care  for  fowls.  Now  I 
think  of  it,  there's  to  be  a  vandoo  the  first  of  the 
week,  and  there  was  a  lot  o'  chickens  printed  on  the 
poster." 

I  smiled. 

"Oh,  I  don't  mean  that  the  chickens  themselves 
was  on  the  poster,  but  a  statement  that  a  lot  would 
be  sold  at  auction.  I'll  bid  'em  in  for  you  if  they're 
a  good  lot.  If  you,  a  city  chap,  was  to  bid,  some 
straw-bidder  would  raise  'em  agin  you.  I  know  what 


100  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEM 

they're  wuth,  and  everybody  there'll  know  I  do,  and 
they'll  try  no  sharp  games  with  me." 

"That  will  suit  me  exactly,  Mr.  Jones.  I  don't 
want  any  game-fowls  of  that  kind." 

"  Ha,  ha  !  I  see  the  p'int.  Have  you  looked  into 
the  root-cellar  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  we  opened  the  door  and  looked,  but  it  was 
dark  as  a  pocket." 

"  Well,  I  don't  b'lieve  in  matches  round  a  barn, 
but  I'll  show  you  something ; "  and  he  opened  the 
door,  struck  a  match,  and,  holding  it  aloft,  revealed 
a  heap  of  turnips,  another  of  carrots,  five  barrels  of 
potatoes,  and  three  of  apples.  The  children  pounced 
upon  the  last  with  appetites  sharpened  by  then 
morning's  work. 

"  You  see,"  resumed  Mr.  Jones,  "these  were  here 
when  old  man  Jamison  died.  If  I  hadn't  sold  the 
place  I  should  have  taken  them  out  before  long,  and 
got  rid  of  what  I  didn't  want.  Now  you  can  have 
the  lot  at  a  low  figure,"  which  he  named. 

"  I'll  take  them,"  I  said,  promptly. 

"  The  carrots  make  it  look  like  a  gold-mine,"  cried 
Merton. 

"  Well,  you're  wise,"  resumed  Mr.  Jones.  "  You'll 
have  to  get  a  cow  and  a  horse,  and  here's  fodder  for 
'em  handy.  Perhaps  I  can  pick  'em  out  for  you, 
too,  at  the  vandoo.  You  can  go  along,  and  if  any 
thing  strikes  your  fancy  I'll  bid  on  it." 

"O  papa,"  cried  the  children,  in  chorus,  "can  we 
go  with  you  to  the  vandoo  ? " 

"Yes,  I  think  so.  When  does  the  sale  take 
place?" 


GOOD  BARGAINS  AND  MAPLF,  SUGAR.*^  1C* 

"  Next  Tuesday.  That's  a  good  breed  of  potatoes. 
Jamison  allus  had  the  best  of  everything.  They'll 
furnish  you  with  seed,  and  supply  your  table  till  new 
ones  come.  I  guess  you  could  sell  a  barrel  or  so  of 
apples  at  a  rise." 

"  I've  found  a  market  for  them  already.  Look  at 
these  children  ;  and  I'm  good  for  a  half-barrel  myself 
if  they  don't  decay  too  soon.  Where  could  we  find 
better  or  cheaper  food?  All  the  books  say  that 
apples  are  fattening." 

"  That's  true  of  man  and  beast,  if  the  books  do 
say  it.  They'll  keep  in  this  cool,  dark  cellar  longer 
than  you'd  think,  —  longer  than  you'll  let  'em,  from 
the  way  they're  disappearin'.  I  guess  /'//  try  one." 

"Certainly,  a  dozen,  just  as  if  they  were  still 
yours." 

"  They  wasn't  mine,  —  they  belonged  to  the  Jami 
son  estate.  I'll  help  myself  now  quicker'n  I  would 
before.  I  might  come  it  over  a  live  man,  you  know, 
but  not  a  dead  one." 

"  I'd  trust  you  with  either." 

While  I  was  laughing  at  this  phase  of  honesty,  he 
resumed :  "This  is  the  kind  of  place  to  keep  apples, 
—  cool,  dry,  dark,  even  temperature.  Why,  they're 
as  crisp  and  juicy  as  if  just  off  the  trees.  I  came 
over  to  make  a  suggestion.  There's  a  lot  of  sugar- 
maple  trees  on  your  place,  down  by  the  brook.  Why 
not  tap  'em,  and  set  a  couple  of  pots  b'ilin'  over  your 
open  fire  ?  You'd  kill  two  birds  with  one  stone  ;  the 
fire'd  keep  you  warm,  and  make  a  lot  of  sugar  in 
the  bargain.  I  opinion,  too,  the  children  would  like 
the  fun." 


IO2  /?/?/K£iV  BACK   TO  EDEN'. 


They  were  already  shouting  over  the  idea,  but  I 
said,  dubiously,  "  How  about  the  pails  to  catch  the 
sap  ? " 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Jones,  "I've  thought  of  that, 
We've  a  lot  of  spare  rnilk-pails  and  pans,  that  we're 
not  usin\  Junior  understands  the  business  ;  and,  as 
we're  not  very  busy,  he  can  help  you  and  take  his 
pay  in  sugar." 

The  subject  of  poultry  was  forgotten,  and  the  chil 
dren  scampered  off  to  the  house  to  tell  of  this  new 
prospect. 

Before  Mr.  Jones  and  I  left  the  basement,  he  said  : 
"  You  don't  want  any  partition  here  at  present,  only 
a  few  perches  for  the  fowls.  There's  a  fairish  shed, 
you  remember,  in  the  upper  barn-yard,  and  when 
'tain't  very  cold  or  stormy  the  cow  will  do  well 
enough  there  from  this  out.  The  weather'll  be  grow- 
in'  milder  'most  every  day,  and  in  rough  spells  you 
can  put  her  in  here.  Chickens  won't  do  her  any 
harm.  Law  sakes !  when  the  main  conditions  is 
right,  what's  the  use  of  havin'  everything  jes'  so? 
It's  more  important  to  save  your  time  and  strength 
and  money.  You'll  find  enough  to  do  without  one 
stroke  that  ain't  needful."  Thus  John  Jones  fulfilled 
ais  office  of  mentor. 


BUTTERNUTS  AND  BOBSEY'S  PERIL.         IO3 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

BUTTERNUTS    AND    BOBSEY'S    PERIL. 

RESTRAINED  the  children  until  after  dinner, 
which  my  wife  hastened.  By  that  time  Junior 
was  on  hand  with  a  small  wagon-load  of  pails  and 
pans. 

"  O  dear !  I  wanted  you  to  help  me  this  after 
noon,"  my  wife  had  said,  but,  seeing  the  dismayed 
look  on  the  children's  faces,  had  added,  "  Well,  there's 
no  hurry,  I  suppose.  We  are  comfortable,  and  we 
shall  have  stormy  days  when  you  can't  be  out." 

I  told  her  that  she  was  wiser  than  the  queen  of 
Sheba  and  did  not  need  to  go  to  Solomon. 

The  horse  was  put  in  the  barn,  for  he  would  have 
mired  in  the  long  spongy  lane  and  the  meadow  which 
we  must  cross.  So  we  decided  to  run  the  light 
wagon  down  by  hand. 

Junior  had  an  auger  with  which  to  bore  holes  in 
the  trees.  "  I  tapped  'em  last  year,  as  old  Mr. 
Jamison  didn't  care  about  doin'  it,"  said  the  boy, 
"  an'  I  b'iled  the  pot  of  sap  down  in  the  grove ;  but 
that  was  slow,  cold  work.  I  saved  the  little  wooden 
troughs  I  used  last  year,  and  they  are  in  one  of  the 
pails.  I  brought  over  a  big  kittle,  too,  which  mother 


IO4  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

let  me  have,  and  if  we  can  keep  this  and  yours  a-go 
in',  we'll  soon  have  some  sugar." 

Away  we  went,  down  the  lane,  Junior  and  Merton 
in  the  shafts,  playing  horses.  I  pushed  in  some 
places,  and  held  back  in  others,  while  Winnie  and 
Bobsey  picked  their  way  between  puddles  and  quag 
mires.  The  snow  was  so  nearly  gone  that  it  lay 
only  on  northern  slopes.  We  had  heard  the  deep 
roar  of  the  Moodna  Creek  all  the  morning,  and  had 
meant  to  go  and  see  it  right  after  breakfast ;  but  pro 
viding  a  chicken-home  had  proved  a  greater  attrac 
tion  to  the  children,  and  a  better  investment  of  time 
for  me.  Now  from  the  top  of  the  last  hillside  we 
saw  a  great  flood  rushing  by  with  a  hoarse,  surging 
noise. 

"  Winnie,  Bobsey,  if  you  go  near  that  water  with 
out  me  you  march  straight  home,"  I  cried. 

They  promised  never  to  go,  but  I  thought  Bobsey 
protested  a  little  too  much.  Away  we  went  down 
the  hill,  skirting  what  was  now  a  good-sized  brook. 
I  knew  the  trees,  from  a  previous  visit ;  and  the 
maple,  when  once  known,  can  be  picked  out  any* 
where,  so  genial,  mellow,  and  generous  an  aspect  has 
it,  even  when  leafless. 

The  roar  of  the  creek  and  the  gurgle  of  the  brook 
made  genuine  March  music,  and  the  children  looked 
and  acted  as  if  there  were  nothing  left  to  be  desired. 
When  Junior  showed  them  a  tree  that  appeared  to 
be  growing  directly  out  of  a  flat  rock,  they  expressed 
a  wonder  which  no  museum  could  have  excited. 

But  scenery,  and  even  rural  marvels,  could  not 
keep  their  attention  long.  All  were  intent  on  sap 


BUTTERNUTS  AND   BOBSEY'S  PERIL.         IO5 

and  sugar,  and  Junior  was  speedily  at  work.  The 
moment  he  broke  the  brittle,  juicy  bark,  the  tree's 
life-blood  began  to  flow. 

"  See,"  he  cried,  "  they  are  like  cows  wanting  to 
be  milked." 

As  fast  as  he  inserted  his  little  wooden  troughs 
into  the  trees,  we  placed  pails  and  pans  under  them, 
and  began  harvesting  the  first  crop  from  our  farm. 

This  was  rather  slow  work,  and  to  keep  Winnie 
and  Bobsey  busy  I  told  them  they  could  gather  sticks 
and  leaves,  pile  them  up  at  the  foot  of  a  rock  on  a 
dry  hillside,  and  we  would  Lave  a  fire.  I  meanwhile 
picked  up  the  dead  branches  that  strewed  the  ground, 
and  with  my  axe  trimmed  them  for  use  in  summer, 
when  only  a  quick  blaze  would  be  needed  to  boil  the 
supper-kettle.  To  city-bred  eyes  wood  seemed  a  rare 
luxury,  and  although  there  was  enough  lying  about 
to  supply  us  for  a  year,  I  could  not  get  over  the  feel 
ing  that  it  must  all  be  cared  for. 

To  children  there  are  few  greater  delights  than 
that  of  building  a  fire  in  the  woods,  and  on  that 
cloudy,  chilly  day  our  blaze  against  the  rock  brought 
solid  comfort  to  us  all,  even  though  the  smoke  did 
get  into  our  eyes.  Winnie  and  Bobsey,  little  bundles 
of  energy  that  they  were,  seemed  unwearied  in  feed 
ing  the  flames,  while  Merton  sought  to  hide  his  excite- 
ment  by  imitating  Junior's  stolid,  business-like  ways. 

Finding  him  alone  once,  I  said  :  "  Merton,  don't 
you  remember  saying  to  me  once,  '  I'd  like  to  know 
what  there  is  for  a  boy  to  do  in  this  street '  ?  Don't 
you  think  there's  something  for  a  boy  to  do  on  this 
farm?" 


IO6  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"O  papa!"  he  cried,  "I'm  just  trying  to  hold  in 
So  much  has  happened,  and  I've  had  such  a  good 
time,  that  it  seems  as  if  I  had  been  here  a  month ; 
then  again  the  hours  pass  like  minutes.  See,  the 
sun  is  low  already." 

"  It's  all  new  and  exciting  now,  Merton,  but  there 
will  be  long  hours, — yes,  days  and  weeks, — when 
you'll  have  to  act  like  a  man,  and  to  do  work  because 
it  ought  to  be  done  and  must  be  done." 

"The  same  would  be  true  if  we  stayed  in  town," 
he  said. 

Soon  I  decided  that  it  was  time  for  the  younger 
children  to  return,  for  I  meant  to  give  my  wife  all 
the  help  I  could  before  bedtime.  We  first  hauled 
the  wagon  back,  and  then  Merton  said  he  would  bring 
what  sap  had  been  caught.  Junior  had  to  go  home 
for  a  time  to  do  his  evening  "  chores,"  but  he  prom 
ised  to  return  before  dark  and  help  carry  in  the  sap. 

"  There'll  be  frost  to-night,  and  we'll  get  the  big 
gest  run  in  the  morning,"  was  his  encouraging  re 
mark,  as  he  made  ready  to  depart. 

Mrs.  Jones  had  been  over  to  see  my  wife,  and  they 
promised  to  become  good  friends.  I  set  to  work 
putting  things  in  better  shape,  and  bringing  in  a 
good  pile  of  wood.  Merton  soon  appeared  with  a 
brimming  pail.  A  kettle  was  hung  on  the  crane, 
but  before  the  sap  was  placed  over  the  fire  all  must 
taste  it,  just  as  it  had  been  distilled  by  nature.  And 
all  were  quickly  satisfied.  Even  Mousie  said  it  was 
"too  watery,"  and  Winnie  made  a  face  as  she  ex 
claimed,  "  I  declare,  Merton,  I  believe  you  filled  the 
pails  from  the  brook  !  " 


BUTTERNUTS  AND  BOBSEY'S  PERIL.          IO/ 

"  Patience,  youngsters ;  sap,  as  well  as  some  other 
things,  is  better  for  boiling  down." 

"  Oh  what  a  remarkable  truth ! "  said  my  wife, 
who  never  lost  a  chance  to  give  me  a  little  dig. 

I  laughed,  and  then  stood  still  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor,  lost  in  thought. 

"  A  brown  study  !  What  theory  have  you  struck 
now,  Robert?" 

"  I  was  thinking  how  some  women  kept  their  hus 
bands  in  love  with  them  by  being  saucy.  It's  an 
odd  way,  and  yet  it  seems  effective." 

"  It  depends  upon  the  kind  of  sauce,  Robert,"  she 
said,  with  a  knowing  glance  and  a  nod. 

By  the  time  it  was  dark,  we  had  both  the  kettles 
boiling  and  bubbling  over  the  fire,  and  fine  music  they 
made.  With  Junior  for  guest,  we  enjoyed  our  supper, 
which  consisted  principally  of  baked  apples  and  milk. 

"'Bubble,  bubble,1 
'  Toil '  and  no  « trouble '  —  " 

"  Yet,  worth  speaking  of,"  said  my  wife ;  "  but  it 
must  come,  I  suppose." 

"We  won't  go  half-way  to  meet  it,  Winifred." 

When  the  meal  was  over,  Junior  went  out  on  the 
porch  and  returned  with  a  mysterious  sack. 

"  Butternuts  !  "  he  ejaculated. 

Junior  was  winning  his  way  truly,  and  in  the  chil 
dren's  eyes  was  already  a  good  genius,  as  his  father 
was  in  mine. 

"  O  papa ! "  was  the  general  cry,  "  can't  we  crack 
them  on  the  hearth  ?  " 

"But  you'll  singe  your  verv  eyebrows  off,"  I  said. 


IO8  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"Mine's  so  white  'twouldn't  matter,"  said  Junior; 
"nobody'd  miss  'em.  Give  me  a  hammer,  and  I'll 
keep  you  goin'." 

And  he  did,  on  one  of  the  stones  of  the  hearth, 
with  such  a  lively  rat-tat-snap!  that  it  seemed  a 
regular  rhythm. 

"  Cracked  in  my  life  well-nigh  on  to  fifty  bushel,  I 
guess,"  he  explained,  in  answer  to  our  wonder  at  his 
skill. 

And  so  the  evening  passed,  around  the  genial  old 
fireplace  ;  and  before  the  children  retired  they  smacked 
their  lips  over  sirup  sweet  enough  to  satisfy  them. 

The  following  morning  —  Saturday  —  I  vibrated 
between  the  sugar-camp  and  the  barn  and  other  out 
buildings,  giving,  however,  most  of  the  time  to  the 
help  of  my  wife  in  getting  the  house  more  to  her 
mind,  and  in  planning  some  work  that  would  require 
a  brief  visit  from  a  carpenter ;  for  I  felt  that  I  must 
soon  bestow  nearly  all  my  attention  on  the  outdoor 
work.  I  managed  to  keep  Bobsey  under  my  eye  for 
the  most  part,  and  in  the  afternoon  I  left  him  for 
only  a 'few  moments  at  the  sugar-bush  while  I  carried 
up  some  sap.  A  man  called  to  see  me  on  business, 
and  I  was  detained.  Knowing  the  little  fellow's 
proneness  to  mischief,  and  forgetfulness  of  all  com 
mands,  I  at  last  hastened  back  with  a  half  guilty  and 
worried  feeling. 

I  reached  the  brow  of  the  hill  just  in  time  to  see 
him  throw  a  stick  into  the  creek,  lose  his  balance, 
and  fall  in. 

With  an  exclamation  of  terror,  his  own  cry  forming 
a  faint  echo,  I  sprung  forward  frantically,  but  the 
Swift  current  caught  and  bore  him  away. 


HO  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

JOHN    JONES,    JUN. 

MY  agonized  shout  as  I  saw  Bobsey  swept  away 
by  the  swollen  current  of  the  Moodna  Creek 
was  no  more  prompt  than  his  own  shrill  scream.  It 
so  happened,  or  else  a  kind  Providence  so  ordered  it, 
that  Junior  was  farther  down  the  stream,  tapping  a 
maple  that  had  been  overlooked  the  previous  day. 
He  sprung  to  his  feet,  whirled  around  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  little  boy's  cry,  with  the  quickness  of 
thought  rushed  to  the  bank,  and  plunged  in  with  a 
headlong  leap,  like  a  Newfoundland  dog.  I  paused, 
spell-bound,  to  watch  him,  knowing  that  I  was  much 
too  far  away  to  be  of  aid,  and  that  all  now  depended 
on  the  hardy  country  lad.  He  disappeared  for  a 
second  beneath  the  tide,  and  then  his  swift  strokes 
proved  that  he  was  a  good  swimmer.  In  a  moment 
or  two  he  caught  up  with  Bobsey,  for  the  current 
was  too  swift  to  permit  the  child  to  sink.  Then, 
with  a  wisdom  resulting  from  experience,  he  let  the 
torrent  carry  him  in  a  long  slant  toward  the  shore, 
for  it  would  have  been  hopeless  to  try  to  stem  the 
tide.  Running  as  I  never  ran  before,  I  followed, 
reached  the  bank  where  there  was  an  eddy  in  the 


JOHN  JONES,  JUN. 


Ill 


stream,  sprung  in  up  to  my  waist,  seized  them  both 
as  they  approached,  and  dragged  them  to  solid 
ground.  Merton  and  Winnie  meanwhile  stood  near 
with  white,  scared  faces. 

Bobsey  was  conscious,  al 
though  he  had  swallowed 
some  water,  and  I  was  soon 
able  to  re 
store  him, 
so  that  he 
could  stand 
on  his  feet 
and  cry: 
"  I  —  I  —  I 
w-  won't  d- 
do  so  any  — 
any  more." 

Instead  of  punishing  him,  which  he  evidently  ex 
pected,  I  clasped  him  to  my  heart  with  a  nervous 
force  that  almost  made  him  cry  out  with  pain. 

Junior,  meanwhile,  had  coolly  seated  himself  on  a 
rock,  emptied  the  water  out  of  his  shoes,  and  was 
tying  them  on  again,  at  the  same  time  striving  with 
all  his  might  to  maintain  a  stolid  composure  under 
Winnie's  grateful  embraces  and  Merton's  inter 
rupting  hand-shakings.  But  when,  having  become 
assured  of  Bobsey' s  safety,  I  rushed  forward  and 
embraced  Junior  in  a  transport  of  gratitude,  his  lip 
began  to  quiver,  and  two  great  tears  mingled  with 
the  water  that  was  dripping  from  his  hair.  Suddenly 
he  broke  away,  took  to  his  heels,  and  ran  toward  his 
home,  as  if  he  had  been  caught  in  some  mischief 


112  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

and  the  constable  was  after  him.  I  believe  that  he 
would  rather  have  had  at  once  all  the  strappings  his 
father  had  ever  given  him  than  to  have  cried  in  our 
presence. 

I  carried  Bobsey  home,  and  his  mother,  with  many 
questionings  and  exclamations  of  thanksgiving,  un 
dressed  the  little  fellow,  wrapped  him  in  flannel,  and 
put  him  to  bed,  where  he  was  soon  sleeping  as 
quietly  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

Mrs.  Jones  came  over,  and  we  made  her  rubicund 
face  beam  and  grow  more  round,  if  possible,  as  we 
all  praised  her  boy.  I  returned  with  her,  for  I  felt 
that  I  wished  to  thank  Junior  again  and  again.  But 
he  saw  me  coming,  and  slipped  out  at  the  back  door. 
Indeed,  the  brave,  bashful  boy  was  shy  of  us  for 
several  days.  When  at  last  my  wife  got  hold  of 
him,  and  spoke  to  him  in  a  manner  natural  to 
mothers,  he  pooh-poohed  the  whole  affair. 

"I've  swurn  in  that  crick  so  often  that  it  was 
nothin'  to  me.  I  only  had  to  keep  cool,  and  that  was 
easy  enough  in  snow  water,  and  the  swift  current 
would  keep  us  both  up.  I  wish  you  wouldn't  say 
anything  more  about  it.  It  kinder  makes  me  feel  — 
I  don't  know  how — all  over,  you  know." 

But  Junior  soon  learned  that  we  had  adopted  him 
into  our  inmost  hearts,  although  he  compelled  us  to 
show  our  good-will  after  his  own  off-hand  fashion. 

Sunday  was  ushered  in  with  another  storm,  and 
we  spent  a  long,  quiet,  restful  day,  our  hearts  full  of 
thankfulness  that  the  great  sorrow,  which  might  have 
darkened  the  beginning  of  our  country  life,  had  been 
so  happily  averted. 


JOHN  JONES,  JUN.  113 

On  Sunday  night  the  wind  veered  around  to  the 
north,  and  on  Monday  morning  the  sky  had  a  clear 
metallic  hue  and  the  ground  was  frozen  hard.  Bob- 
sey  had  not  taken  cold,  and  was  his  former  self, 
except  that  he  was  somewhat  chastened  in  spirit  and 
his  bump  of  caution  was  larger.  I  was  resolved  that 
the  day  should  witness  a  good  beginning  of  our  spring 
work,  and  told  Winnie  and  Bobsey  that  they  could 
help  me.  Junior,  although  he  yet  avoided  the  house, 
was  ready  enough  to  help  Merton  with  the  sap. 
Therefore  soon  after  breakfast  we  all  were  busy. 

Around  old  country  places,  especially  where  there 
has  been  some  degree  of  neglect,  much  litter  gath 
ers.  This  was  true  of  our  new  home  and  its  surround 
ings.  Ail  through  the  garden  were  dry,  unsightly 
weeds ;  about  the  house  was  shrubbery  that  had 
become  tangled  masses  of  unpruned  growth ;  in  the 
orchard  the  ground  was  strewn  with  fallen  branches, 
and  I  could  see  dead  limbs  on  many  of  the  trees. 

Therefore  I  said  to  my  two  little  helpers  :  "  Here 
in  this  open  space  in  the  garden  we  will  begin  our 
brush-pile,  and  we  will  bring  to  it  all  the  refuse  that 
we  wish  to  burn.  You  see  that  we  can  make  an 
immense  heap,  for  the  place  is  so  far  away  from  any 
buildings  that,  when  the  wind  goes  down,  we  can  set 
the  pile  on  fire  in  safety,  and  the  ashes  will  do  the 
garden  good." 

During  the  whole  forenoon  I  pruned  the  shrub 
bery,  and  raked  up  the  rubbish  which  the  children 
carried  by  armfuls  to  our  prospective  bonfire.  They 
soon  wished  to  see  the  blaze,  but  I  told  them  that 
the  wind  was  too  high,  and  that  I  did  not  propose  to 


114  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN: 

apply  the  match  until  we  had  a  heap  half  as  big  as 
the  house ;  that  it  might  be  several  days  before  we 
should  be  ready,  for  I  intended  to  have  a  tremendous 
fire. 

Thus  with  the  lesson  of  restraint  was  given  the 
hope  of  something  wonderful.  For  a  long  time  they 
were  pleased  with  the  novelty  of  the  work,  and  then 
they  wanted  to  do  something  else,  but  I  said  :  "  No, 
no ;  you  are  gardeners  now,  and  I'm  head  gardener. 
You  must  both  help  me  till  dinner-time.  After  that 
you  can  do  something  else,  or  play  if  you  choose  ;  but 
each  day,  even  Bobsey  must  do  some  steady  work  to 
earn  his  dinner.  We  didn't  come  to  the  country  on 
a  picnic,  I  can  tell  you.  All  must  do  their  best  to 
help  make  a  living  ; "  and  so  without  scruple  I  kept 
my  little  squad  busy,  for  the  work  was  light,  although 
it  had  become  monotonous. 

Mousie  sometimes  aided  her  mother,  and  again 
watched  us  from  the  window  with  great  interest.  I 
rigged  upon  the  barrow  a  rack,  in  which  I  wheeled 
the  rubbish  gathered  at  a  distance ;  and  by  the  time 
my  wife's  mellow  voice  called,  "  Come  to  dinner  "  — 
how  sweet  her  voice  and  summons  were  after  long 
hours  in  the  keen  March  wind  !  —  \vc  had  a  pile  much 
higher  than  my  head,  and  the  place  began  to  wear  a 
tidy  aspect. 

Such  appetites,  such  red  cheeks  and  rosy  noses  as 
the  outdoor  workers  brought  to  that  plain  meal ! 
Mousie  was  much  pleased  with  the  promise  that 
the  bonfire  should  not  be  lighted  until  some  still, 
mild  day  when  she  could  go  out  and  stand  with  me 
beside  it. 


JOHN  JONES,  JUN.  1 1 5 

Merton.  admitted  that  gathering  the  sap  did  not 
keep  him  busy  more  than  half  the  time ;  so  after 
dinner  I  gave  him  a  hatchet,  and  told  him  to  go  on 
with  the  trimming  out  of  the  fallen  branches  in  our 
wood  lot,  — a  task  that  I  had  begun,  — and  to  carry 
all  wood  heavy  enough  for  our  fireplace  to  a  spot 
where  it  could  be  put  into  a  wagon. 

"Your  next  work,  Merton,  will  be  to  collect  all 
your  refuse  trimmings,  and  the  brush  lying  about, 
into  a  few  great  heaps ;  and  by  and  by  we'll  burn 
these,  too,  and  gather  up  the  ashes  carefully,  for  I've 
read  and  heard  all  my  life  that  there  is  nothing  bet 
ter  for  fruit  than  wood-ashes.  Some  day,  I  hope,  we 
can  begin  to  put  money  in  the  bank  ;  for  I  intend  to 
give  all  a  chance  to  earn  money  for  themselves,  after 
they  have  done  their  share  toward  our  general  effort 
to  live  and  thrive.  The  next  best  thing  to  putting 
money  in  the  bank  is  the  gathering  and  saving  of 
everything  that  will  make  the  ground  richer.  In 
fact,  all  the  papers  and  books  that  I've  read  this 
winter  agree  that  as  the  farmer's  land  grows  rich  he 
grows  rich." 


Jl6  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  ED  EM 


CHAPTER   XX. 

RASPBERRY    LESSONS. 

IT  must  be  remembered  that  I  had  spent  all  my 
leisure  during  the  winter  in  reading  and  studying 
the  problem  of  our  country  life.  Therefore  I  knew 
that  March  was  the  best  month  for  pruning  trees, 
and  I  had  gained  a  fairly  correct  idea  how  to  do  this 
work.  Until  within  the  last  two  or  three  years  of 
his  life,  old  Mr.  Jamison  had  attended  to  this  task 
quite  thoroughly ;  and  thus  little  was  left  for  me 
beyond  sawing  away  the  boughs  that  had  recently 
died,  and  cutting  out  the  useless  sprouts  on  the  larger 
limbs.  Before  leaving  the  city  I  had  provided  my 
self  with  such  tools  as  I  was  sure  I  should  need ; 
and  finding  a  ladder  under  a  shed,  I  attacked  the 
trees  vigorously.  The  wind  had  almost  died  out, 
and  I  knew  I  must  make  the  most  of  all  still  days  in 
this  gusty  month.  After  playing  around  for  a  times 
Winnie  and  Bobsey  concluded  that  gathering  and 
piling  up  my  prunings  would  be  as  good  fun  as  any* 
thing  else ;  and  so  I  had  helpers  again. 

By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  Mr.  Jones  ap 
peared,  and  I  was  glad  to  see  him,  for  there  were 
some  kinds  of  work  about  which  I  wanted  his  advice. 


RASPBERRY  LESSONS. 

At  one  end  of  the  garden  were  several  rows  of  black 
cap  raspberry  bushes,  which  had  grown  into  an  awful 
snarl.  The  old  canes  that  had  borne  fruit  the  pre 
vious  season  were  still  standing,  ragged  and  unsight 
ly  ;  the  new  stalks  that  would  bear  the  coming  season 
sprawled  in  every  direction ;  and  I  had  found  that 
many  tips  of  the  branches  had  grown  fast  in  the 
ground.  I  took  my  neighbor  to  see  this  briery  wil 
derness,  and  asked  his  advice. 

"  Have  you  got  a  pair  of  pruning-nippers  ?  "  he 
asked. 

Before  going  to  the  house  to  get  them,  I  blew  a 
shrill  whistle  to  summon  Merton,  for  I  wished  him 
also  to  hear  all  that  Mr.  Jones  might  say.  I  carried 
a  little  metallic  whistle,  one  blast  on  which  was 
for  Merton,  two  for  Winnie,  and  three  for  Bobsey. 
When  they  heard  this  call  they,  were  to  come  as  fast 
as  their  feet  could  carry  them. 

Taking  the  nippers,  Mr.  Jones  snipped  off  from 
one-third  to  one  half  the  length  of  the  branches  from 
one  of  the  bushes  and  cut  out  the  old  dead  cane. 

"  I  raise  these  berries  myself  for  home  use,"  he 
said  ;  "  and  I  can  tell  you  they  go  nice  with  milk  for 
a  July  supper.  You  see,  after  taking  off  so  much 
from  these  long  branches  the  canes  stand  straight 
up,  and  will  be  self-supporting,  no  matter  how  many 
berries  they  bear ;  but  here  and  there's  a  bush  that 
has  grown  slant-wise,  or  is  broken  off.  Now,  if  I 
was  you,  I'd  take  a  crowbar  'n'  make  a  hole  'longside 
these  weakly  and  slantin'  fellers,  put  in  a  stake,  and 
tie  'em  up  strong.  Then,  soon  as  the  frost  yields,  if 
you'll  get  out  the  grass  and  weeds  that's  started 


Il8  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

among  'em,  you'll  have  a  dozen  bushel  or  more  of 
marketable  berries  from  this  'ere  wilderness,  as  you 
call  it.  Give  Merton  a  pair  of  old  gloves,  and  he 
can  do  most  of  the  job.  Every  tip  that's  fast  in 
the  ground  is  a  new  plant.  If  you  want  to  set  or.t 
another  patch,  I'll  show  you  how  later  on." 

"I  think  I  know  pretty  nearly  how  to  do  that/' 
"  Yes,  yes,  I  know.-    Books  are  a  help,  I  s'pose  ; 
but  after  you've  seen  one  plant  set  out  right,  you'll 
know  more  than  if  you'd  'a'  read  a  month." 

"  Well,  now  that  you're  here,  Mr.  Jones,  I'm  going 
to  make  the  most  of  you.     How  about  those  other 
raspberries  off  to  the  south-east  of  the  house  ?  " 
"  Those  are  red  ones.     Let's  take  a  look  at  ?em." 
Having  reached  the  patch,  we  found  almost  as  bad 
a  tangle  as  in  the  black-cap  patch,  except  that  the 
canes  were  more  upright  in  their  growth  and  less  full 
of  spines  or  briers. 

"It's  plain  enough,"  continued  Mr.  Jones,  "that 
old  man  Jamison  was  too  poorly  to  take  much  care 
of  things  last  year.  You  see,  these  red  raspberries 
grow  different  from  those  black  ones  yonder.  Those 
increase  by  the  tips  of  the  branches  takin'  root ; 
these  by  suckers.  All  these  young  shoots  comin1 
up  between  the  rows  are  suckers,  and  they  ought  to 
be  dug  out.  As  I  said  before,  you  can  set  them  out 
somewhere  else  if  you  want  to.  Dig  'em  i?p,  you 
know ;  make  a  trench  in  some  out-of-the-way  place, 
and  bury  the  roots  till  you  want  'em.  Like  enough 
the  neighbors  will  buy  some  if  they  know  you  have 
'em  to  spare.  Only  be  sure  to  cut  these  long  canes 
back  to  within  six  inches  of  the  ground." 


RASPBERRY  LESSONS.  1 19 

"Yes,"  I  said,  "that's  all  just  as  I  have  read  in 
the  books." 

"So  much  the  better  for  the  books,  then.  I 
•haven't  lived  in  this  fruit-growin'  region  all  my  life 
without  gettin'  some  ideas  as  to  what's  what.  I 
give  my  mind  to  farmin' ;  but  Jamison  and  I  were 
great  cronies,  and  I  used  to  be  over  here  every  day 
or  two,  and  so  it's  natural  to  keep  comin'." 

"  That's  my  good  luck." 

"Well,  p'raps  it'll  turn  out  so.  Now  Merton's 
just  the  right  age  to  help  you  in  all  this  work.  Jam 
ison,  you  see,  grew  these  raspberries  in  a  continuous 
bushy  row ;  that  is,  say,  three  good  strong  canes 
every  eighteen  inches  apart  in  the  row,  and  the  rows 
five  feet  apart,  so  he  could  run  a  horse-cultivator  be 
tween.  Are  you  catchin'  on,  Merton  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  with  much  interest. 

"Well,  all  these  suckers  and  extra  plants  that  are 
swampin'  the  ground  are  just  as  bad  as  weeds.  Dig 
'em  all  out,  only  don't  disturb  the  roots  of  the  bear- 
in'  canes  you  leave  in  the  rows  much." 

"  How  about  trimming  these  ?"  I  asked. 

"Well,  that  depends.  If  you  want  early  fruit, 
you'll  let  'em  stand  as  they  be  ;  if  you  want  big  ber 
ries,  you'll  cut  'em  back  one-third.  Let  me  see. 
Here's  five  rows  of  Highland  Hardy;  miserable  poor- 
tastin'  kind  ;  but  they  come  so  early  that  they  often 
pay  the  best.  Let  them  stand  with  their  whole  length 
of  cane,  and  if  you  can  scatter  a  good  top-dressin'  of 
fine  manure  scraped  up  from  the  barn-yard,  you'll 
make  the  berries  larger.  Those  other  rows  of  Cuth- 
bert,  Reliance,  and  Turner,  cut  back  the  canes  one- 


I2O  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

third,  and  you'll  get  a  great  deal  more  fruit  than  if 
you  left  more  wood  on  'em.  Cuttin'  back'll  make 
the  berries  big ;  and  so  they'll  bring  as  much,  p'raps, 
as  if  they  were  early." 

"Well,  Merton,  this  all  accords  with  what  I've 
read,  only  Mr.  Jones  makes  it  much  clearer.  I  think 
we  know  how  to  go  to  work  now,  and  surely  there's 
plenty  to  do." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  resumed  Mr.  Jones;  "and  you'll 
soon  find  the  work  crowdin'  you.  Now  come  to  the 
big  raspberry  patch  back  of  the  barn,  the  patch 
where  the  canes  are  all  laid  down,  as  I  told  you. 
These  are  Hudson  River  Antwerps.  Most  people 
have  gone  out  of  'em,  but  Jamison  held  on,  and  he 
was  makin'  money  on  'em.  So  may  you.  They  are 
what  we  call  tender,  you  see,  and  in  November  they 
must  be  bent  down  close  to  the  ground  and  covered 
with  earth,  or  else  every  cane  would  be  dead  from 
frost  by  spring.  About  the  first  week  in  April,  if 
the  weather's  mild,  you  must  uncover  'em,  and  tie 
'em  to  stakes  durin'  the  month." 

"Now,  Mr.  Jones,  one  other  good  turn  and  we 
won't  bother  you  any  more  to-day.  All  the  front  of 
the  house  is  covered  by  two  big  grape -vines  that 
have  not  been  trimmed,  and  there  are  a  great  many 
other  vines  on  the  place.  I've  read  and  read  on  the 
subject,  but  I  declare  I'm  afraid  to  touch  them." 

"  Now  you're  beyond  my  depth.  I've  got  a  lot  of 
vines  home,  and  I  trim  'em  in  my  rough  way,  but  I 
know  I  ain't  scientific,  and  we  have  pretty  poor, 
scraggly  bunches.  They  taste  just  as  good,  though, 
and  I  don't  raise  any  to  sell.  There's  a  clever  man 


RASPBERRY  LESSONS.  121 

down  near  the  landin'  who  has  a  big  vineyard,  and 
he's  trimmed  it  as  your  vines  ought  to  have  been 
long  ago.  I'd  advise  you  to  go  and  see  him,  and  he 
can  show  you  all  the  latest  wrinkles  in  prunin'. 
Now,  I'll  tell  you  what  I  come  for,  in  the  first  place. 
You'll  remember  that  I  said  there'd  be  a  vandoo 
to-morrow.  I've  been  over  and  looked  at  the  stock 
offered.  There's  a  lot  of  chickens,  as  I  told  you ;  a 
likely-looking  cow  with  a  calf  at  her  side ;  a  fairish 
and  quiet  old  horse  that  ought  to  go  cheap,  but  he'd 
answer  well  the  first  year.  Do  you  think  you'll  get 
more'n  one  horse  to  start  with  ?  " 

"  No  ;  you  said  I  could  hire  such  heavy  ploughing 
as  was  needed  at  a  moderate  sum,  and  I  think  we 
can  get  along  with  one  horse  for  a  time.  My  plan  is 
to  go  slow,  and,  I  hope,  sure." 

"That's  the  best  way,  only  it  ain't  common.  I'll 
be  around  in  the  mornin'  for  you  and  such  of  the 
children  as  you'll  take." 

"  On  one  condition,  Mr.  Jones.  You  must  let  me 
pay  you  for  your  time  and  trouble.  Unless  you'll 
do  this  in  giving  me  my  start,  I'll  have  to  paddle 
my  own  canoe,  even  if  I  sink  it." 

"Oh,  I've  no  grudge  against  an  honest  penny 
turned  in  any  way  that  comes  handy.  You  and  I  can 
keep  square  as  we  go  along.  You  can  give  me  what 
you  think  is  right,  and  if  I  ain't  satisfied,  I'll  say  so." 

I  soon  learned  that  my  neighbor  had  no  foolish 
sensitiveness.  I  could  pay  him  what  I  thought  the 
value  of  his  services,  and  he  pocketed  the  money 
without  a  word.  Of  course,  I  could  not  pay  him 
what  his  advice  was  really  worth,  for  his  hard  com 
mon-sense  stood  me  in  good  stead  in  many  ways. 


122  DRIVEN  BACK  TO 


CHAPTER   XXI. 


THE  next  morning  at  about  eight  o'clock  Mr. 
Jones  arrived  in  a  long  farm-wagon  on  springs, 
with  one  seat  in  it ;  but  Junior  had  half  filled  its 
body  with  straw,  and  he  said  to  Merton,  "  I  thought 
that,  p'raps,  if  you  and  the  children  could  go,  you'd 
like  a  straw-ride." 

The  solemnity  with  which  Winnie  and  Bobsey 
promised  to  obey  orders  gave  some  hope  of  per 
formance  ;  so  I  tossed  them  into  the  straw,  and  we 
drove  away,  a  merry  party,  leaving  Mousie  consoled 
with  the  hope  of  receiving  something  from  the 
vendue. 

"There's  allers  changes  and  breakin's  up  in  the 
spring,"  said  Mr.  Jones,  as  we  drove  along;  "and 
this  family's  goin'  out  West.  Everything  is  to  be 
sold,  in  doors  and  out." 

The  farm-house  in  question  was  about  two  miles 
away.  By  the  time  we  arrived,  all  sorts  of  vehicles 
were  converging  to  it  on  the  muddy  roads,  for^the 
weather  had  become  mild  again.  Stylish-looking 
people  drove  up  in  top-buggies,  and  there  were  many 
heavy,  springless  wagons  driven  by  rusty-looking 


THE   "VANDOO."  1.2} 

countrymen,  whose  trousers  were  thrust  into  the  tops 
of  their  cowhide  boots.  I  strolled  through  the  house 
before  the  sale  began,  thinking  that  I  might  find 
something  there  which  would  please  Mousie  and  my 
wife.  The  rooms  were  already  half  filled  with  the 
housewives  from  the  vicinity  ;  red-faced  Irish  women, 
who  stalked  about  and  examined  everything  with 
great  freedom ;  placid,  peach-cheeked  dames  in 
Quaker  bonnets,  who  softly  cooed  together,  and  took 
every  chance  they  could  to  say  pleasant  words  to  the 
flurried,  nervous  family  that  was  being  thrust  out 
into  the  world,  as  it  were,  while  still  at  their  own 
hearth. 

I  marked  with  my  eye  a  low,  easy  sewing-chair  for 
my  wife,  and  a  rose  geranium,  full  of  bloom,  for 
Mousie,  purposing  to  bid  on  them.  I  also  observed 
that  Junior  was  examining  several  pots  of  flowers 
that  stood  in  the  large  south  window.  Then  giving 
Merton  charge  of  the  children,  with  directions  not  to 
lose  sight  of  them  a  moment,  I  went  to  the  barn 
yard  and  stable,  feeling  that  the  day  was  a  criti 
cal  one  in  our  fortunes.  True  enough,  among  the 
other  stock  there  was  a  nice-looking  cow  with  a  calf, 
and  Mr.  Jones  said  she  had  Jersey  blood  in  her  veins. 
This  meant  rich,  creamy  milk.  I  thought  the  animal 
had  a  rather  ugly  eye,  but  this  might  be  caused  by 
anxiety  for  her  calf,  with  so  many  strangers  about. 
We  also  examined  the  old  bay  horse  and  a  market 
wagon  and  harness.  Then  Mr.  Jones  and  I  drew 
apart  and  agreed  upon  the  limit  of  his  bids,  for  I  pro 
posed  to  act  solely  through  him.  Every  one  knew 
him  and  was  aware  that  he  would  not  go  a  cent 


124  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

beyond  what  a  thing  was  worth.  H~  had  a  word  and 
a  jest  for  all,  and  "  How  are  YOU,  JOHN  ?  "  greeted 
him  wherever  he  went. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  sale  began.  The  auctioneer 
was  a  rustic  humorist,  who  knew  the  practical  value 
of  a  joke  in  his  business.  Aware  of  the  foibles  and 
characteristics  of  the  people  who  flocked  around  and 
after  him,  he  provoked  many  a  ripple  and  roar  of 
laughter  by  his  telling  hits  and  droll  speeches.  I 
found  that  my  neighbor,  Mr.  Jones,  came  in  for  his 
full  share,  but  he  always  sent  back  as  good  as  he 
received.  The  sale,  in  fact,  had  the  aspect  of  a 
country  merry-making,  at  which  all  sorts  and  condi 
tions  of  people  met  on  common  ground,  Pat  bidding 
against  the  best  of  the  landed  gentry,  while  boys 
and  dogs  innumerable  played  around  and  sometimes 
verged  on  serious  quarrels. 

Junior,  I  observed,  left  his  mark  before  the  day 
was  over.  He  was  standing,  watching  the  sale  with 
his  usual  impassive  expression,  when  a  big,  hulking 
fellow  leered  into  his  face  and  cried,  — 

"  Tow-head,  white-head, 
Thick-head,  go  to  bed." 

The  last  word  was  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth  before 
Junior's  fist  was  between  his  eyes,  and  down  he  went. 

"Want  any  more?"  Junior  coolly  asked,  as  the 
fellow  got  up. 

Evidently  he  didn't,  for  he  slunk  off,  followed  by 
jeers  and  laughter. 

At  noon  there  was  an  immense  pot  of  coffee,  with 


THE 


*/R  AUCTION    SALS- 


126  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN". 

crackers  and  cheese,  placed  on  a  table  near  the 
kitchen  door,  and  we  had  a  free  lunch.  To  this  Bob- 
sey  paid  his  respects  so  industriously  that  a  great, 
gawky  mountaineer  looked  down  at  him  and  said, 
with  a  grin,  "  I  say,  young  'un,  you're  gettin'  out 
side  of  more  fodder  than  any  critter  of  your  size  I 
ever  knowed." 

"'Tain't  your  fodder,"  replied  Bobsey,  who  had 
learned,  in  the  streets,  to  be  a  little  pert. 

The  day  came  to  an  end  at  last,  and  the  cow  and 
calf,  the  old  bay  horse,  the  wagon,  and  the  harness 
were  mine.  On  the  whole,  Mr.  Jones  had  bought 
them  at  reasonable  rates.  He  also  bid  in  for  me,  at 
one  dollar  per  pair,  two  cocks  and  twenty  hens  that 
looked  fairly  well  in  their  coop. 

For  my  part,  I  had  secured  the  chair  and  blooming 
geranium.  To  my  surprise,  when  the  rest  of  the 
flowers  were  sold,  Junior  took  part  in  the  bidding  for 
the  first  time,  and,  as  a  result,  carried  out  to  the 
wagon  several  other  pots  of  house-plants. 

"Why,  Junior,"  I  said,  "I  didn't  know  you  had 
such  an  eye  for  beauty." 

He  blushed,  but  made  no  reply. 

The  chickens  and  the  harness  were  put  into  Mr. 
Jones's  conveyance,  the  wagon  I  had  bought  was 
tied  on  behind,  and  we  jogged  homeward,  the  children 
exulting  over  our  new  possessions.  When  I  took  in 
the  geranium  bush  and  put  it  on  the  table  by  the 
sunny  kitchen  window,  Junior  followed  with  an  arm 
ful  of  his  plants. 

"They're  for  Mousie,"  he  said;  and  before  the 
delighted  child  could  thank  him,  he  darted  out. 


THE  "  VANDOO."  12? 

Indeed,  it  soon  became  evident  that  Mousie  was 
Junior's  favorite.  She  never  said  much  to  him,  but 
she  looked  a  great  deal  To  the  little  invalid  girl 
he  seemed  the  embodiment  of  strength  and  clever 
ness,  and,  perhaps  because  he  was  so  strong,  his 
sympathies  went  out  toward  the  feeble  child. 

The  coop  of  chickens  was  carried  to  the  basement 
that  we  had  made  ready,  and  Winnie  declared  that 
she  meant  to  "hear  the  first  crow  and  get  the  first 

egg-" 

The  next  day'the  horse  and  the  cow  and  calf  were 
brought  over,  and  we  felt  that  we  were  fairly  launched 
in  our  country  life. 

"  You  have  a  bigger  family  to  look  after  outdoors 
than  I  have  indoors,"  my  wife  said,  laughingly. 

I  was  not  long  in  learning  that  some  of  my  out 
door  family  were  anything  but  amiable.  The  two 
cocks  fought  and  fought  until  Junior,  who  had  run 
over  before  night,  showed  Merton  that  by  ducking 
their  heads  in  cold  water  their  belligerent  spirit  could 
be  partially  quenched.  Then  he  proceeded  to  give 
me  a  lesson  in  milking.  The  calf  was  shut  up  away 
from  the  cow,  which  was  driven  into  a  corner,  where 
she  stood  with  signs  of  impatience  while  Junior, 
seated  on  a  three-legged  stool,  essayed  to  obtain  the 
nectar  we  all  so  dearly  loved.  At  first  he  did  not 
succeed  very  well. 

"She  won't  let  it  down  —  she's  keepin' it  for  the 
calf,"  said  the  boy.  But  at  last  she  relented,  and 
the  white  streams  flowed.  "Now,"  said  Junior  to 
me,  "you  see  how  I  do  it.  You  try." 

As  I  took  his  place,  I  noted  that  Brindle  turned 


12$  DRIVEN-  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

on  me  a  vicious  look.  No  doubt  I  was  awkward  and 
hurt  her  a  little,  also ;  for  the  first  thing  I  knew  the 
pail  was  in  the  air,  I  on  my  back,  and  Brindle  bel 
lowing  around  the  yard,  switching  her  tail,  Junior 
and  Merton  meanwhile  roaring  with  laughter.  I  got 
up  in  no  amiable  mood  and  said,  roughly,  to  the  boys, 
"Quit  that  nonsense." 

But  they  couldn't  obey,  and  at  last  I  had  to  join  in 
the  laugh. 

"Why,  she's  ugly  as  sin,"  said  Junior.  "I'll  tell 
you  what  to  do.  Let  her  go  with  her  calf  now,  and 
in  the  morning  we'll  drive  her  down  to  one  of  the 
stalls  in  the  basement  of  the  barn  and  fasten  her  by 
the  head.  Then  we  can  milk  her  without  risk. 
After  her  calf  is  gone  she'll  be  a  great  deal  tamer." 

This  plan  was  carried  out,  and  it  worked  pretty 
well,  although  it  was  evident  that,  from  some  cause, 
the  cow  was  wild  and  vicious.  One  of  my  theories 
is,  that  all  animals  can  be  subdued  by  kindness.  Mr. 
Jones  advised  me  to  dispose  of  Brindle,  but  I  deter 
mined  to  test  my  theory  first.  Several  times  a  day 
I  would  go  to  the  barn-yard  and  give  her  a  carrot  or  a 
wisp  of  hay  from  my  hand,  and  she  gradually  became 
accustomed  to  me,  and  would  come  at  my  call.  A 
week  later  I  sold  her  calf  to  a  butcher,  and  for  a 
few  days  she  lowed  and  mourned  deeply,  to  Mousie's 
great  distress.  But  carrots  consoled  her,  and  within 
three  weeks  she  would  let  me  stroke  her,  and  both 
Merton  and  I  could  milk  her  without  trouble.  I 
believe  she  had  been  treated  harshly  by  her  former 
owners. 


EARLY  APRIL   GARDENING.  1 29 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

EARLY   APRIL    GARDENING. 

SPRING  was  coming  on  apace,  and  we  all  made 
the  most  of  every  pleasant  hour.  The  second 
day  after  the  auction  proved  a  fine  one  ;  and  leaving 
Winnie  and  Merton  in  charge  of  the  house,  I  took 
my  wife,  with  Bobsey  and  Mousie,  who  was  well 
bundled  up,  to  see  the  scientific  grape-grower,  and  to 
do  some  shopping.  At  the  same  time,  we  assured 
ourselves  that  we  were  having  a  pleasure-drive ;  and 
it  did  me  good  to  see  how  the  mother  and  daughter, 
who  had  been  kept  indoors  so  long,  enjoyed  them 
selves.  Mr.  Jones  was  right.  I  received  better  and 
clearer  ideas  of  vine-pruning  in  half  an  hour  from 
studying  work  that  had  been  properly  done,  and  by 
asking  questions  of  a  practical  man,  than  I  could 
ever  have  obtained  by  reading.  We  found  that  the 
old  bay  horse  jogged  along,  at  as  good  a  gait  as  we 
could  expect,  over  the  muddy  road,  and  I  was  satis 
fied  that  he  was  quiet  enough  for  my  wife  to  drive 
him  after  she  had  learned  how,  and  gained  a  little 
confidence.  She  held  the  reins  as  we  drove  home, 
and,  in  our  own  yard,  I  gave  her  some  lessons  in 
turning  around,  backing,  etc. 


I3O  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

"Some  day,"  I  said,  "you  shall  have  a  carriage 
and  a  gay  young  horse." 

When  we  sat  down  to  supper,  I  was  glad  to  see 
that  a  little  color  was  dawning  in  Mousie's  face. 

The  bundles  we  brought  home  supplemented  our 
stores  of  needful  articles,  and  our  life  began  to  take 
on  a  regular  routine.  The  carpenter  came  and  put  up 
the  shelves,  and  made  such  changes  as  my  wife  de 
sired  ;  then  he  aided  me  in  repairing  the  out-buildings. 
I  finished  pruning  the  trees,  while  Merton  worked 
manfully  at  the  raspberries,  for  we  saw  that  this  was 
a  far  more  pressing  task  than  gathering  wood,  whicji 
could  be  done  to  better  advantage  in  the  late  autumn. 
Every  morning  Winnie  and  Bobsey  were  kept  stead 
ily  busy  in  carrying  our  trimmings  to  the  brush  heap, 
which  now  began  to  assume  vast  proportions,  espe 
cially  as  the  refuse  from  the  grape-vines  and  raspberry 
bushes  was  added  to  it.  As  the  ground  became 
settled  after  the  frost  was  out,  I  began  to  set  the 
stakes  by  the  side  of  such  raspberry  canes  as  needed 
tying  up ;  and  here  was  a  new  light  task  for  the  two 
younger  children.  Bobsey's  little  arms  could  go 
around  the  canes  and  hold  them  close  to  the  stake, 
while  Winnie,  a  sturdy  child,  quickly  tied  them  with 
a  coarse,  cheap  string  that  I  had  bought  for  the  pur 
pose.  Even  my  wife  came  out  occasionally  and 
helped  us  at  this  work.  By  the  end  of  the  last  week 
in  March  I  had  all  the  fruit-trees  fairly  pruned  and 
the  grape-vines  trimmed  and  tied  up,  and  had  given 
Merton  much  help  among  the  raspberries.  In  shal 
low  boxes  of  earth  on  the  kitchen  table,  cabbage,  let 
tuce,  and  tomato  seeds  were  sprouting  beside  Mousie's 


EARLY  APRIL    GARDENING.  131 

plants.  The  little  girl  hailed  with  delight  every  yel 
lowish  green  germ  that  appeared  above  the  soil. 

The  hens  had  spent  the  first  few  days  in  inspect 
ing  their  quarters  and  becoming  familiar  with  them  ; 
but  one  morning  there  was  a  noisy  cackle,  and  Win 
nie  soon  came  rushing  in  with  three  fresh-laid  eggs. 
A  week  later  we  had  all  we  could  use,  and  my  wife 
began  to  put  some  by  for  the  first  brooding  biddies 
to  sit  upon. 

The  first  day  of  April  promised  to  be  unusually 
dry  and  warm,  and  I  said  at  the  breakfast  table : 
"  This  is  to  be  a  great  day.  We'll  prove  that  we  are 
not  April-fools  by  beginning  our  garden.  I  was 
satisfied  yesterday  that  a  certain  warm  slope  was  dry 
enough  to  dig  and  plant  with  hardy  vegetables,  and 
I've  read  and  studied  over  and  over  again  which  to 
plant  first,  and  how  to  plant  them.  I  suppose  I  shall 
make  mistakes,  but  I  wish  you  all  to  see  how  I  do  it, 
and  then  by  next  spring  we  shall  have  learned  from 
experience  how  to  do  better.  No  doubt,  some  things 
might  have  been  planted  before,  but  we've  all  been 
too  busy.  Now,  Merton,  you  go  and  harness  old  Bay 
to  the  cart  I  bought  with  the  place,  and  I'll  get  out 
my  treasure  of  seeds.  Mousie,  by  ten  o'clock,  if  the 
sun  keeps  out  of  the  clouds,  you  can  put  on  your 
rubbers  and  join  us." 

Soon  all  was  bustle  and  excitement.  Among  rrn 
seeds  were  two  quarts  of  red  and  two  of  white  onion, 
sets,  or  little  bits  of  onions,  which  I  had  kept  in  a 
cool  place,  so  that  they  should  not  sprout  before  their 
time.  These  I  took  out  first.  Then  with  Merton  I 
went  to  the  barn-yard  and  loaded  up  the  cart  with 


132  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEJV. 

the  finest  and  most  decayed  manure  we  could  find, 
and  this  was  dumped  on  the  highest  part  of  the  slope 
that  I  meant  to  plant. 

"  Now,  Merton,  I  guess  you  can  get  another  load, 
while  I  spread  this  heap  and  begin  to  dig ; "  and  he 
went  off  with  the  horse  and  cart,  having  an  increased 
idea  of  his  importance.  I  marked  a  long  strip  of  the 
sunny  slope,  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  spread  the  manure 
evenly  and  thickly,  for  I  had  read,  and  my  own  sense 
confirmed  the  view,  that  a  little  ground  well  enriched 
would  yield  more  than  a  good  deal  of  poor  land.  I 
then  dug  till  my  back  ached ;  and  I  found  that  it 
began  to  ache  pretty  soon,  for  I  was  not  accustomed 
to  such  toil. 

"After  the  first  seeds  are  in,"  I  muttered,  "I'll 
have  the  rest  of  the  garden  ploughed." 

When  I  had  dug  down  about  four  feet  of  the  strip, 
I  concluded  to  rest  myself  by  a  change  of  labor ;  so  I 
took  the  rake  and  smoothed  off  the  ground,  stretched 
a  garden  line  across  it,  and,  with  a  sharp-pointed  hoe, 
made  a  shallow  trench,  or  drill. 

"Now,  Winnie  and  Bobsey,"  I  said,  "it  is  time  for 
you  to  do  your  part.  Just  stick  these  little  onions 
in  the  trench  about  four  inches  apart ; "  and  I  gave 
each  of  them  a  little  stick  of  the  right  length  to 
measure  the  distance  ;  for  they  had  vague  ideas  of 
four  inches.  "  Be  sure,"  I  continued,  "that  you  get 
the  bottom  of  the  onion  down.  This  is  the  top,  and 
this  is  the  bottom.  Press  the  onion  in  the  soil  just 
enough  to  make  it  stand  firm,  so.  That's  right.  Oh, 
you're  learning  fast.  Now  I  can  rest,  you  see,  while 
you  do  the  planting." 


134  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

In  a  few  moments  they  had  stuck  the  fifteen  feet 
of  shallow  trench,  or  drill,  full  of  onions,  which  I 
covered  with  earth,  packing  it  lightly  with  my  hoe. 
I  then  moved  the  line  fourteen  inches  farther  down 
and  made  another  shallow  drill.  In  khis  way  we  soon 
had  all  the  onion  sets  in  the  ground.  Merton  came 
back  with  his  load  in  time  to  see  how  it  was  done, 
and  nodded  his  head  approvingly.  I  now  felt  rested 
enough  to  dig  awhile,  and  Merton  started  off  to  the 
barn-yard  again.  We  next  sowed,  in  even  shallower 
drills,  the  little  onion  seed  that  looked  like  gun 
powder,  for  my  garden  book  said  that  the  earlier  this 
was  planted  the  better.  We  had  completed  only 
a  few  rows  when  Mr.  Jones  appeared,  and  said : 
"  Plantin*  onions  here  ?  Why,  neighbor,  this  ground 
is  too  dry  and  light  for  onions." 

"  Is  it  ?  Well,  I  knew  I'd  make  mistakes.  I 
haven't  used  near  all  my  onion  seed  yet,  however." 

"Oh,  well,  no  great  harm's  done.  You've  made 
the  ground  rich,  and,  if  we  have  a  moist  season,  like 
enough  they'll  do  well.  P'raps  it's  the  best  thing, 
after  all,  'specially  if  you've  put  in  the  seed  thick,  as 
most  people  do.  Let  'em  all  grow,  and  you'll  have 
a  lot  of  little  onions,  or  sets,  of  your  own  raisin'  to 
plant  early  next  spring.  Save  the  rest  of  your  seed 
until  you  have  some  rich,  strong,  deep  soil  ready.  I 
came  over  to  say  that  if  this  weather  holds  a  day  or 
two  longer  I'll  plough  the  garden ;  and  I  thought  I'd 
tell  you,  so  that  you  might  get  ready  for  me.  The 
sooner  you  get  your  early  pertaters  in  the  better." 

"Your  words  almost  take  the  ache  out  of  my 
back,"  I  said.  "  I  feir  we  shouldn't  have  much  of  a 


EARLY  APRIL    GARDENING.  135 

garden  if  I  had  to  dig  it  all,  but  I  thought  I'd  make 
a  beginning  with  a  few  early  vegetables." 

"  That's  well  enough,  but  a  plough  beats  a  fork  all 
hollow.  You'll  know  what  I  mean  when  you  see  my 
plough  going  down  to  the  beam  and  loosenin'  the 
ground  from  fifteen  to  twenty  inches.  So  burn  your 
big  brush-pile,  and  get  out  what  manure  you're  goin' 
to  put  on  the  garden,  and  I'll  be  ready  when  you 
are." 

"All  right.  Thank  you.  I'll  just  plant  some 
radishes,  peas,  and  beans." 

"Not  beans  yet,  Mr.  Durham.  Don't  put  those 
in  till  the  last  of  the  month,  and  plant  them  very 
shallow  when  you  do." 

"  How  one  forgets  when  there's  not  much  experi 
ence  to  fall  back  upon !  I  now  remember  that  my 
book  said  that  beans,  in  this  latitude,  should  not  be 
planted  until  about  the  1st  of  May." 

"And  lima  beans  not  till  the  loth  of  May,"  added 
Mr.  Jones.  "  You  might  put  in  a  few  early  beets 
here,  although  the  ground  is  rather  light  for  'em. 
You  could  put  your  main  crop  somewhere  else. 
Well,  let  me  know  when  you  are  ready.  Junior  and 
me  are  drivin'  things,  too,  this  mornin'  ; "  and  he 
stalked  away,  whistling  a  hymn-tune  in  rather  lively 
time. 

I  said :  "  Youngsters,  I  think  I'll  get  my  garden 
book  and  be  sure  I'm  right  about  sowing  the  radish 
and  beet  seed  and  the  peas.  Mr.  Jones  has  rather 
shaken  my  confidence." 

When  Merton  came  with  the  next  load  I  told  him 
that  he  could  put  the  horse  in  the  stable  and  help 


136  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

us.  As  a  result,  we  soon  had  several  rows  of  rad 
ishes  and  beets  sown,  fourteen  inches  apart.  We 
planted  the  seed  only  an  inch  deep,  and  packed  the 
ground  lightly  over  it.  Mousie,  to  her  great  delight, 
was  allowed  to  drop  a  few  of  the  seeds.  Merton 
was  ambitious  to  take  the  fork,  but  I  soon  stopped 
him,  and  said  :  "  Digging  is  too  heavy  work  for  you, 
my  boy.  There  is  enough  that  you  can  do  without 
overtaxing  yourself.  We  must  all  act  like  good  sol 
diers.  The  campaign  of  work  is  just  opening,  and 
it  would  be  very  foolish  for  any  of  us  to  disable  our 
selves  at  the  start.  We'll  plant  only  half  a  dozen 
rows  of  these  dwarf  peas  this  morning,  and  then  this 
afternoon  we'll  have  the  bonfire  and  get  ready  for 
Mr.  Jones's  plough." 

At  the  prospect  of  the  bonfire  the  younger  chil 
dren  set  up  shouts  of  exultation,  which  cheered  me 
on  as  I  turned  over  the  soil  with  the  fork,  although 
often  stopping  to  rest.  My  back  ached,  but  my 
heart  was  light.  In  my  daily  work  now  I  had  all 
my  children  about  me,  and  their  smaller  hands  were 
helping  in  the  most  practical  way.  Their  voices 
were  as  joyous  as  the  notes  of  the  robins,  song-spar 
rows,  and  bluebirds  that  were  singing  all  about  us. 
A  soft  haze  half  obscured  the  mountains,  and  mel 
lowed  the  sunshine.  From  the  springing  grass  and 
fresh-turned  soil  came  odors  sweet  as  those  which 
made  Eden  fragrant  after  "  a  mist  went  up  from  the 
earth  and  watered  the  whole  face  of  the  ground." 

All  the  children  helped  to  plant  the  peas,  which 
we  placed  carefully  and  evenly,  an  inch  apart,  in  the 
row,  and  covered  with  two  inches  of  soil,  the  rows 


EARLY  APRIL    GARDENING.  1§J 

being  two  feet  distant  one  from  another.  I  had  de 
cided  to  plant  chiefly  McLean's  Little  Gem,  because 
they  needed  no  stakes  or  brush  for  support.  We 
were  almost  through  our  task  when,  happening  to 
look  toward  the  house,  I  saw  my  wife  standing  in 
the  doorway,  a  framed  picture. 

"Dinner,"  she  called,  in  a  voice  as  sweet  to  me  a? 
that  of  the  robin  singing  in  a  cherry-tree  over  her 
head. 

The  children  stampeded  for  the  house,  Winnie 
crying :  "  Hurry  up,  mamma,  for  right  after  dinner- 
papa  will  set  the  great  brush-pile  on  fire,  and  we're 
going  to  dance  round  it  like  Indians.  You  must 
come  out,  too." 


138  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A   BONFIRE   AND   A   FEAST. 

F  amused  and  interested  me  to  see  upon  the  chil 
dren's  fkces  such  an  eager  expectancy  as  they 
hurried  through  our  midday  meal.  Nothing  greater 
than  a  bonfire  was  in  prospect,  yet  few  costly  pleas- 
ures  could  have  afforded  them  such  excitement.  I 
found  myself  sharing  in  their  anticipation  to  a  degree 
that  surprised  me,  and  was  led  to  ask  myself  why  it 
is  that  outdoor  pursuits  often  take  so  strong  a  hold 
upon  the  fancy.  I  recalled  traits  shown  by  one  of 
my  former  employers.  He  was  a  gray-headed  man, 
possessing  great  wealth  and  an  elegant  city  home, 
while  his  mind  was  occupied  by  a  vast  and  compli 
cated  business.  When  he  learned  that  I  was  going 
to  the  country,  he  would  often  come  to  me,  and,  with 
kindling  eyes  and  animated  tones,  talk  of  his  chick 
ens,  cows,  fruit-trees,  and  crops.  He  proved  that 
the  best  product  of  his  *arm  was  the  zest  it  brought 
into  his  life,  —  a  zest  that  was  failing  in  his  other 
occupations  and  interests.  What  was  true  of  him  I 
knew  to  be  equally  so  of  many  others  to  whom 
wealth  brings  no  greater  luxury  than  the  ability  to 
indulge  in  expensive  farming.  A  lifetime  in  the  city 


A   BOiVFIRE  AND   A    FEAST.  139 

does  not  destroy  the  primal  instinct  which  leads  men 
to  the  soil,  nor  does  a  handsome  dividend  from 
stocks  give  the  unalloyed  pleasure  awakened  by  a 
basket  of  fresh  eggs  or  fruit.  This  love  of  the  earth 
is  not  earthiness,  but  has  been  the  characteristic  of 
the  best  and  greatest  minds.  Washington  would 
turn  from  the  anxieties  of  a  campaign  and  the  bui 
dens  of  state  to  read,  with  absorbing  interest,  the 
reports  of  the  agent  who  managed  his  plantation, 
and  to  write  out  the  minutest  details  for  the  over 
seer's  guidance. 

In  my  limited  way  and  sphere  I  was  under  the 
influence  of  the  same  impulses  ;  and,  as  I  looked 
around  the  table  at  those  so  dear  to  me,  I  felt  that  I 
had  far  more  at  stake.  I  had  not  come  back  to 
Nature  merely  to  amuse  myself  or  to  gratify  a  taste, 
but  to  co-work  with  her  in  fulfilling  the  most  sacred 
duties.  With  the  crops  of  the  coming  years  these 
children  must  be  nourished  and  fitted  for  their  part 
in  life,  and  I  felt  that  all  my  faculties  must  be  em 
ployed  to  produce  the  best  results  from  my  open-air 
toil. 

Therefore,  why  should  not  I  also  be  interested  in 
the  prospective  bonfire  ?  It  would  transmute  the 
unsightly  rubbish  of  the  place  into  fertilizing  ashes, 
and  clear  the  ground  for  the  plough.  The  mellow 
soil  would  produce  that  which  would  give  brain  and 
muscle  —  life  to  those  whose  lives  were  dear. 

He  who  spreads  his  table  with  food  secured  by 
his  own  hands  direct  from  nature  should  feel  a  strong 
incentive  to  do  his  best.  The  coarse,  unvaried  diet, 
common  to  many  farmers'  homes,  is  the  result  of 


I4O  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

stolid  minds  and  plodding  ways.  A  better  manhood 
and  womanhood  will  be  developed  when  we  act  upon 
the  truth  that  varied  and  healthful  sustenance  inv 
proves  blood  and  brain,  and  therefore  character. 

I  was  growing  abstracted,  when  my  wife  remarked, 
"  Robert,  will  you  deign  to  come  back  from  a  remote 
region  of  thought  and  take  some  rice  pudding  ? " 

"  You  may  all  fare  the  better  for  my  thoughts/'  I 
replied. 

The  children,  however,  were  bolting  their  pudding 
at  railroad  speed,  and  I  perceived  that  the  time 
demanded  action.  Winnie  and  Bobsey  wished  me 
to  light  the  fire  at  once,  but  I  said  :  "  No,  not  till 
mamma  and  Mousie  are  ready  to  come  out.  You 
must  stay  and  help  them  clear  away  the  things. 
When  all  is  ready,  you  two  shall  start  the  blaze." 

Very  soon  we  were  all  at  the  brush-pile,  which 
towered  above  our  heads,  and  I  said :  "  Merton,  it 
will  burn  better  if  we  climb  over  it  and  trample  it 
down  a  little.  It  is  too  loose  now.  While  we  do 
this,  Winnie  and  Bobsey  can  gather  dry  grass  and 
weeds  that  will  take  fire  quickly.  Now,  which  way 
is  the  wind  ?  " 

"There  isn't  any  wind,  papa,"  Merton  replied. 

"  Let  us  see.  Put  your  forefingers  in  your  mouths, 
all  of  you,  then  hold  them  up  and  note  which  side 
feels  the  coolest." 

"This  side  !  "  cried  one  and  another. 

"  Yes  ;  and  this  side  is  toward  the  west ;  there 
fore,  Winnie,  put  the  dry  grass  here  on  the  western 
side  of  the  heap,  and  what  air  is  stirring  will  carry 
the  blaze  through  the  pile." 


142  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

Little  hands  that  trembled  with  eagerness  soon 
held  lighted  matches  to  the  dry  grass ;  there  was  a 
yellow  flicker  in  the  sunshine,  then  a  blaze,  a  crackle,, 
a  devouring  rush  of  flames  that  mounted  higher  and 
higher  until,  with  the  surrounding  column  of  smoke, 
there  was  a  conflagration  which,  at  night,  would  have 
alarmed  the  country-side.  The  children  at  first 
gazed  with  awe  upon  the  scene  as  they  backed  far 
ther  away  from  the  increasing  heat.  Our  beacon-fire 
drew  Junior,  who  came  bounding  over  the  fences 
toward  us  ;  and  soon  he  and  Merton  began  to  see 
how  near  they  could  dash  in  toward  the  blaze  with 
out  being  scorched.  I  soon  stopped  this. 

"  Show  your  courage,  Merton,  when  there  is  need 
of  it,"  I  said.  "  Rash  venturing  is  not  bravery,  but 
foolishness,  and  often  costs  people  dear." 

When  the  pile  sank  down  into  glowing  embers,  I 
turned  to  Bobsey,  and  added :  "  I  have  let  you  light 
a  fire  under  my  direction.  Never  think  of  doing 
anything  of  the  kind  without  my  permission,  for  if 
you  do,  you  will  certainly  sit  in  a  chair,  facing  the 
wall,  all  day  long,  with  nothing  to  cheer  you  but 
bread  and  water  and  a  sound  whipping.  There  is 
one  thing  which  you  children  must  learn  from  the 
start,  and  that  is,  you  can't  play  with  fire  except 
under  my  eyes." 

At  this  direful  threat  Bobsey  looked  as  grave  as 
his  round  little  face  permitted,  and,  with  the  mem 
ory  of  his  peril  in  the  creek  fresh  in  mind,  was  ready 
enough  with  the  most  solemn  promises.  A  circle  of 
unburned  brush  was  left  around  the  embers.  This  I 
raked  in  on  the  hot  coals,  and  soon  all  was  consumed. 


A   BONFIRE  AND   A   FEAST.  143 

"  Now  I  have  a  suggestion,"  cried  my  wife.  "  We'll 
have  some  roast  potatoes,  for  here  are  lots  of  hot 
coals  and  ashes."  Away  scampered  Winnie  to  the 
cellar  for  the  tubers.  Our  bonfire  ended  in  a  feast, 
and  then  the  ashes  were  spread  far  and  wide.  When 
these  exciting  events  were  past,  Winnie  and  Bobsey 
amused  themselves  in  other  ways,  Mousie  venturing 
to  stay  with  them  while  the  sun  remained  high. 
Merton  and  I,  meanwhile,  put  the  horse  to  the  cart 
and  covered  all  the  ground,  especially  the  upper  and 
poorer  portions,  with  a  good  dressing  from  the  barn 
yard. 

In  the  evening,  Junior  gave  Merton  a  good  hint 
about  angle-worms.  "  Follow  the  plough,"  he  said, 
"and  pick  'em  up  and  put  'em  in  a  tight  box.  Then 
sink  the  box  in  a  damp  place  and  nearly  fill  it  with 
fine  earth,  and  you  always  have  bait  ready  when  you 
want  to  go  a-fishing.  After  a  few  more  warm  days 
the  fish  will  begin  to  bite  first-rate." 

Early  the  next  morning,  Mr.  Jones  was  on  hand 
with  his  stout  team,  and,  going  twice  in  every  fur- 
row,  he  sunk  his  plough  to  the  beam.  "  When  you 
loosen  the  soil  deep  in  this  style,"  he  said,  "ye 
needn't  be  afraid  of  dry  weather  unless  it's  an  amaz- 
in'  long  spell.  Why,  bless  you,  Mr.  Durham,  there's 
farmers  around  here  who  don't  scratch  their  ground 
much  deeper  than  an  old  hen  would,  and  they're 
always  groanin'  over  droughts.  If  I  can  get  my 
plough  down  eighteen  inches,  and  then  find  time  to 
stir  the  surface  often  in  the  growin'  season,  I  ain't 
afraid  of  a  month  of  dry  weather." 

We  followed  Mr.  Jones  for  a  few  turns  around  the 


144  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEK 

garden,  I  inhaling  the  fresh  wholesome  odors  of  the 
soil  with  pleasure,  and  Merton  and  the  two  younger 
children  picking  up  angle-worms. 

Our  neighbor  soon  paused,  and  resumed  :  "  I  guess 
I'll  give  you  a  hint  that'll  add  bushels  of  pertaters  to 
yer  crop.  After  I've  ploughed  the  garden,  I'll  furrow 
out  deep  a  lot  of  rows,  three  feet  apart.  Let  Merton 
take  a  hoe  and  scrape  up  the  fine  old  manure  in  the 
barn-yard.  Don't  use  any  other  kind.  Then  sprin 
kle  it  thickly  in  the  furrows,  and  draw  your  hoe 
through  'em  to  mix  the  fertilizer  well  with  the  soil. 
Drop  your  seed  then,  eight  inches  apart  in  the  row, 
and  cover  with  four  inches  of  dirt.  One  can't  do 
this  very  handy  by  the  acre,  but  I've  known  such 
treatment  to  double  the  crop  and  size  of  the  pertaters 
in  a  garden  or  small  patch." 

I  took  the  hint  at  once,  and  set  Merton  at  work, 
saying  that  Winnie  and  Bobsey  could  gather  all  the 
worms  he  wanted.  Then  I  went  for  a  half-bushel  of 
early  potatoes,  and  Mr.  Jones  showed  me  how  to  cut 
them  so  as  to  leave  at  least  two  good  "eyes"  to  each 
piece.  Half  an  hour  later  it  occurred  to  me  to  see 
how  Merton  was  getting  on.  I  found  him  perspiring, 
and  almost  panting  with  fatigue,  and  my  conscience 
smote  me.  " There,  my  boy,"  I  said,  "this  is  too 
hard  work  for  you.  Come  with  me  and  I'll  show 
you  how  to  cut  the  potatoes.  But  first  go  into  the 
house,  and  cool  off  while  you  drink  a  glass  of  milk." 

"Well,  papa,"  he  replied,  gratefully,  "I  wouldn't 
mind  a  change  like  that.  I  didn't  want  you  to  think 
I  was  shirking,  but,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  was  getting 
played  out." 


A   BONFIRE  AND  A   FEAST.  145 

"Worked  out,  you  mean.  It's  not  my  wish  that 
you  should  ever  be  either  played  or  worked  out,  nor 
will  you  if  you  take  play  and  work  in  the  right 
degree.  Remember,"  I  added,  seriously,  "that  you 
are  a  growing  boy,  and  it's  not  my  intention  to  put 
you  at  anything  beyond  your  strength.  If,  in  my 
inexperience,  I  do  give  you  too  hard  work,  tell  me  at 
once.  There's  plenty  to  do  that  won't  overtax  you." 

So  we  exchanged  labors,  and  by  the  time  the  gar 
den  was  ploughed  and  the  furrows  were  made  I  had 
scraped  up  enough  fine  material  in  the  barn-yard  to 
give  my  tubers  a  great  start.  I  varied  my  labor  with 
lessons  in  ploughing,  for  running  in  my  head  was  an 
"old  saw"  to  the  effect  that  "he  who  would  thrive 
must  both  hold  the  plough  and  drive." 

The  fine  weather  lasted  long  enough  for  us  to 
plant  our  early  potatoes  in  the  most  approved  fashion, 
and  then  came  a  series  of  cold,  wet  days  and  frosty 
nights.  Mr.  Jones  assured  us  that  the  vegetable 
seeds  already  in  the  ground  would  receive  no  harm. 
At  such  times  as  were  suitable  for  work  we  finished 
trimming  and  tying  up  the  hardy  raspberries,  clean 
ing  up  the  barn-yard,  and  carting  all  the  fertilizers 
we  could  find  to  the  land  that  we  meant  to  cultivate. 


146  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

"NO    BLIND    DRIFTING." 

ONE  long,  stormy  day,  I  prepared  an  account- 
book.  On  its  left-hand  pages  I  entered  the 
cost  of  the  place  and  all  expenses  thus  far  incurred. 
The  right-hand  pages  were  for  records  of  income,  as 
yet  small  indeed.  They  consisted  only  of  the  pro 
ceeds  from  the  sale  of  the  calf,  the  eggs  that  Winnie 
gathered,  and  the  milk  measured  each  day,  all  valued 
at  the  market  price.  I  was  resolved  that  there  should 
be  no  blind  drifting  toward  the  breakers  of  failure,  — 
that  at  the  end  of  the  year  we  should  know  whether 
we  had  made  progress,  stood  still,  or  gone  backward. 
My  system  of  keeping  the  accounts  was  so  simple  that 
I  easily  explained  it  to  my  wife,  Merton,  and  Mousie, 
for  I  believed  that,  if  they  followed  the  effort  at 
country  living  understandingly,  they  would  be  more 
willing  to  practise  the  self-denial  necessary  for  suc 
cess.  Indeed,  I  had  Merton  write  out  most  of  the 
items,  even  though  the  record,  as  a  result,  was  not 
very  neat.  I  stopped  his  worrying  over  blots  and 
errors,  by  saying,  "  You  are  of  more  account  than 
the  account-book,  and  will  learn  by  practice  to  be  as 
accurate  as  any  one.'* 


"NO  BLIND  DRIFTING." 

My  wife  and  Mousie  also  started  another  book  of 
household  expenses,  that  we  might  always  know  just 
where  we  stood  and  what  our  prospects  were. 

Weeks  would  elapse  before  our  place  would  be 
food-producing  to  any  great  extent.  In  the  mean 
time,  we  must  draw  chiefly  on  our  capital  in  order  to 
live.  Winifred  and  I  resolved  to  meet  this  necessity 
in  no  careless  way,  feeling  that  not  a  penny  should 
be  spent  which  might  be  saved.  The  fact  that  I  had 
only  my  family  to  support  was  greatly  in  our  favor. 
There  was  no  kitchen  cabinet,  that  ate  much  and 
wasted  more,  to  satisfy.  Therefore,  our  revenue  of 
eggs  and  milk  went  a  long  way  toward  meeting  the 
problem.  We  made  out  a  list  of  cheap,  yet  whole 
some,  articles  of  food,  and  found  that  we  could  buy 
oatmeal  at  four  cents  per  pound,  Indian  meal  at  two 
and  a  half  cents,  rice  at  eight  cents,  samp  at  four, 
mackerel  at  nine,  pork  at  twelve,  and  ham  at  fifteen 
cents.  The  last  two  articles  were  used  sparingly, 
and  more  as  relishes  and  for  flavoring  than  as  food. 
Flour  happened  to  be  cheap  at  the  time,  the  best 
costing  but  seven  dollars  a  barrel ;  of  vegetables,  we 
had  secured  abundance  at  slight  cost ;  and  the  ap 
ples  still  added  the  wholesome  element  of  fruit.  A 
butcher  drove  his  wagon  to  our  door  three  times  a 
week  and,  for  cash,  would  give  us,  at  very  reasonable 
rates,  certain  cuts  of  beef  and  mutton.  These  my  wife 
conjured  into  appetizing  dishes  and  delicious  soups. 

Thus  it  can  be  seen  that  we  had  a  varied  diet  at  a 
surprisingly  small  outlay.  Such  details  may  appear 
to  some  very  homely,  yet  our  health  and  success 
depended  largely  upon  thoughtful  attention  to  just 


148  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

such  prosaic  matters.  The  children  were  growing 
plump  and  ruddy  at  an  expense  less  than  would  be 
incurred  by  one  or  two  visits  from  a  fashionable 
physician  in  the  city. 

In  the  matter  of  food,  I  also  gave  more  thought  to 
my  wife's  time  and  strength  than  to  the  little  peo 
ple's  wishes.  While  we  had  variety  and  abundance, 
we  did  not  have  many  dishes  at  any  one  meal. 

"We  shall  not  permit  mamma  to  be  over  the  hot 
range  any  more  than  is  necessary,"  I  said.  "  She 
and  Mousie  must  give  us,  from  day  to  day,  what 
costs  little  in  time  as  well  as  money." 

Fortunately,  plain,  wholesome  food  does  not  require 
much  time  in  preparation.  There  would  be  better 
health  in  many  homes  if  there  was  more  economy  in 
labor.  For  instance,  the  children  at  first  clamored 
for  griddle-cakes,  but  I  said,  "Isn't  it  nicer  to  have 
mamma  sit  down  quietly  with  us  at  breakfast  than  to 
see  her  running  back  and  forth  from  the  hot  stove  ? " 
and  even  Bobsey,  though  rather  ruefully,  voted 
against  cakes,  except  on  rare  occasions. 

The  wash-tub  I  forbade  utterly,  and  the  services 
of  a  stout  Irishwoman  were  secured  for  one  day  in 
the  week.  Thus,  by  a  little  management,  my  wife 
was  not  overtaxed.  Indeed,  she  had  so  much  leisure 
that  she  and  Mousie  began  giving  Winnie  and  Bob 
sey  daily  lessons,  for  we  had  decided  that  the  chil 
dren  should  not  go  to  school  until  the  coming 
autumn.  Early  in  April,  therefore,  our  country  life 
was  passing  into  a  quiet  routine,  not  burdensome,  at 
least  within  doors ;  and  I  justly  felt  that  if  all  were 
well  in  the  citadel  of  home,  the  chances  of  the  out 
door  campaign  were  greatly  improved. 


LESSONS. 


I49 


15O  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDE& 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

OWLS    AND   ANTWERPS. 

EACH  day  at  dawn,  unless  it  was  stormy,  Merton 
patrolled  the  place  with  his  gun,  looking  for 
hawks  and  other  creatures  which  at  this  season  he 
was  permitted  to  shoot.  He  had  quite  as  serious 
and  important  an  air  as  if  he  were  sallying  forth  to 
protect  us  from  deadlier  foes.  For  a  time  he  saw 
nothing  to  fire  at,  since  he  had  promised  me  not  to 
shoot  harmless  birds.  He  always  indulged  himself, 
however,  in  one  shot  at  a  mark,  and  was  becoming 
sure  in  his  aim  at  stationary  objects.  One  evening, 
however,  when  we  were  almost  ready  to  retire,  a 
strange  sound  startled  us.  At  first  it  reminded  me 
of  the  half-whining  bark  of  a  young  dog,  but  the 
deep,  guttural  trill  that  followed  convinced  me  that 
it  was  a  screech-owl,  for  I  remembered  having  heard 
these  birds  when  a  boy. 

The  moment  I  explained  the  sound,  Merton  darted 
for  his  gun,  and  my  wife  exclaimed  :  "  O  clear !  what 
trouble  is  coming  now?  Mother  always  said  that  the 
hooting  of  an  owl  near  a  house  was  a  bad  omen." 

I  did  not  share  in  the  superstition,  although  I  dis 
liked  the  uncanny  sounds,  and  was  under  the  impret- 


OWLS  AND   ANTWERPS. 


sion  that  all  owls, 
like  hawks,  should 
be  destroyed.  There- 
fore,  I  followed  Mer- 
ton  out,  hoping  that 


the 

moonlight  il 
lumined  everything 
soft,  mild 
and  the 

with  their 
tracery  of  bough  and 
twig,  stood  out  dis 
tinctly.  Before  we 
could  discover  the 
creature,  it  flew  with 
noiseless  wing  from 
a  maple  near  the  door 
to  another  perch  up 
the  lane,  and  again  ut« 
tered  its  weirr]  notes. 


152  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

Merton  was  away  like  a  swift  shadow,  and,  screen 
ing  himself  behind  the  fence,  stole  upon  his  game. 
A  moment  later  the  report  rang  out  in  the  still  night. 
It  so  happened  that  Merton  had  fired  just  as  the  bird 
was  about  to  fly,  and  had  only  broken  a  wing.  The 
owl  fell  to  the  ground,  but  led  the  boy  a  wild 
pursuit  before  he  was  captured.  Merton's  hands 
were  bleeding  when  he  brought  the  creature  in. 
Unless  prevented,  it  would  strike  savagely  with  its 
beak,  and  the  motions  of  its  head  were  as  quick  as 
lightning.  It  was,  indeed,  a  strange  captive,  and 
the  children  looked  at  it  in  wondering  and  rathef 
fearful  curiosity.  My  wife,  usually  tender-hearted, 
wished  the  creature,  so  ill-omened  in  her  eyes,  to  be 
killed  at  once,  but  I  granted  Merton's  request  that 
he  might  put  it  in  a  box  and  keep  it  alive  for  a  while. 

"In  the  morning,"  I  said,  "we  will  read  all  about 
it,  and  can  examine  it  more  carefully." 

My  wife  yielded,  and  I  am  not  sure  but  that  she 
thought  we  might  avert  misfortune  by  showing 
mercy. 

Among  my  purchases  was  a  recent  work  on  natural 
history.  But  our  minds  had  been  engrossed  with  too 
many  practical  questions  to  give  it  much  attention. 
Next  morning  we  consulted  it,  and  found  our  captive 
variously  described  as  the  little  red,  the  mottled,  or 
the  screech  owl.  Then  followed  an  account  of  its 
character  and  habits.  We  learned  that  we  had  made 
war  upon  a  useful  friend,  instead  of  an  ill-boding, 
harmful  creature.  We  were  taught  that  this  species 
is  a  destroyer  of  mice,  beetles,  and  vermin,  thus  ren 
dering  the  agriculturist  great  services,  which,  how- 


OWLS  AND   ANTWERPS.  153 

,  are  so  little  known  that  the  bird  is  everywhere 
hunted  down  without  mercy  or  justice. 

"  Surely,  this  is  not  true  of  all  owls,"  I  said,  and 
by  reading  further  we  learned  that  the  barred,  or 
hoot  owl,  and  the  great  horned  owl,  were  deserving 
of  a  surer  aim  of  Merton's  gun.  They  prey  not  only 
upon  useful  game,  but  also  invade  the  poultry-yard, 
the  horned  species  being  especially  destructive.  In 
stances  were  given  in  which  these  freebooters  had 
killed  every  chicken  upon  a  farm.  As  they  hunt  only 
at  night,  they  are  hard  to  capture.  Their  notes  and 
natures  are  said  to  be  in  keeping  with  their  deeds  of 
darkness  ;  for  their  cry  is  wild,  harsh,  and  unearthly, 
while  in  temper  they  are  cowardly,  savage,  and  un 
tamable,  showing  no  affection  even  for  each  other. 
A  female  has  been  known  to  kill  and  eat  the  male. 

"The  moral  of  this  owl  episode,"  I  concluded,  "is 
that  we  must  learn  to  know  our  neighbors,  be  they 
birds,  beasts,  or  human  beings,  before  we  judge  them. 
This  book  is  not  only  full  of  knowledge,  but  of  infor 
mation  that  is  practical  and  useful.  I  move  that  we 
read  up  about  the  creatures  in  our  vicinity.  What 
do  you  say,  Merton  ?  wouldn't  it  be  well  to  learn 
what  to  shoot,  as  well  as  how  to  shoot  ?  " 

Protecting  his  hands  with  buckskin  gloves,  the  boy 
applied  mutton  suet  to  our  wounded  owl's  wing.  It 
was  eventually  healed,  and  the  bird  was  given  its 
liberty.  It  gradually  became  sprightly  and  tame, 
and  sociable  in  the  evening,  affording  the  children 
and  Junior  much  amusement. 

By  the  /th  of  April  there  was  a  prospect  of  warmer 
and  more  settled  weather,  and  Mr.  Jones  told  us  to 


154  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN". 

lose  no  time  in  uncovering  our  Antwerp  raspberries. 
They  had  been  bent  down  close  to  the  ground  the 
previous  winter  and  covered  with  earth.  To  remove 
this  without  breaking  the  canes,  required  careful  and 
skilful  work.  We  soon  acquired  the  knack,  however, 
of  pushing  and  throwing  aside  the  soil,  then  lifting 
the  canes  gently  through  what  remained,  and  shak 
ing  them  clear. 

"  Be  careful  to  level  the  ground  evenly,"  Mr.  Jones 
warned  us,  "  for  it  won't  do  at  all  to  leave  hummocks 
of  dirt  around  the  hills  ; "  and  we  followed  his  in 
structions. 

The  canes  were  left  until  a  heavy  shower  of  rain 
washed  them  clean ;  then  Winnie  and  Bobsey  tied 
them  up.  We  gave  steady  and  careful  attention  to 
the  Antwerps,  since  they  would  be  our  main  depend 
ence  for  income.  I  also  raked  in  around  the  hills 
of  one  row  a  liberal  dressing  of  wood  ashes,  intend 
ing  to  note  its  effect. 


COUNTRY  SUNDAY. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

A    COUNTRY   SUNDAY. 

TTITHERTO  the  Sabbaths  had  been  stormy  and' 
1  1  the  roads  bad,  and  we  had  given  the  days  to 
rest  and  family  sociability.  But  at  last  there  came 
a  mild,  sunny  morning,  and  we  resolved  to  find  a 
church-home.  I  had  heard  that  Dr.  Lyman,  who 
preached  in  the  nearest  village,  had  the  faculty  of 
keeping  young  people  awake.  Therefore  we  har 
nessed  the  old  bay-horse  to  our  market-wagon, 
donned  our  "go-ter-meetin's,"  as  Junior  called  his 
Sunday  clothes,  and  started.  Whatever  might  be  the 
result  of  the  sermon,  the  drive  promised  to  do  us 
good.  The  tender  young  grass  by  the  roadside,  and 
the  swelling  buds  of  trees,  gave  forth  delicious  odors ; 
a  spring  haze  softened  the  outline  of  the  mountains, 
and  made  them  almost  as  beautiful  as  if  clothed  with 
foliage  ;  robins,  song-sparrows,  and  other  birds  were 
so  tuneful  that  Mousie  said  she  wished  they  might 
form  the  choir  at  the  church.  Indeed,  the  glad 
spirit  of  Spring  was  abroad,  and  it  found  its  way  into 
our  hearts.  We  soon  learned  that  it  entered  largely 
also  into  Dr.  Lynaan's  sermon.  We  were  not  treated 
as  strangers  and  intruders,  but  welcomed  and  shown 


DRIVEN  BACK:  TO  EDSM 


to  a  pew  in  a  way  that  made  us  feel  at  home.  I  dis 
covered  that  I,  too,  should  be  kept  awake  and  given 
much  to  think  about.  We  remained  until  Sunday- 
school,  which  followed  the  service,  was  over,  and 
then  went  home,  feeling  that  life,  both  here  and  here 
after,  was  something  to  be  thankful  for.  After  din 
ner,  without  even  taking  the  precaution  of  locking 
the  door,  we  all  strolled  down  the  lane  and  the  steeply 
sloping  meadow  to  our  wood  lot  and  the  banks  of  the 
Moodna  Creek.  My  wife  had  never  seen  this  portion 
of  our  place  before,  and  she  was  delighted  with  its 
wild  beauty  and  seclusion.  She  shivered  and  turned 
a  little  pale,  however,  as  she  saw  the  stream,  st:ll 
high  and  swift,  that  had  carried  Bobsey  away. 

Junior  joined  us,  and  led  the  children  to  a  sunny 
bank,  from  which  soon  came  shouts  of  joy  over 
the  first  wildflowers  of  the  season.  I  placed  my 
wife  on  a  rock,  and  we  sat  quietly  for  a  time,  in 
haling  the  fresh  woody  odors,  and  listening  to  the 
murmurs  of  the  creek  and  the  song  of  the  birds. 
Then  I  asked  :  "  Isn't  this  better  than  a  city  flat 
and  a  noisy  street  ?  Are  not  these  birds  pleasanter 
neighbors  than  the  Daggetts  and  the  Ricketts  ?  " 

Her  glad  smile  was  more  eloquent  than  words 
could  have  been.  Mousie  came  running  to  us,  hold 
ing  in  her  hand,  which  trembled  from  excitement,  a 
little  bunch  of  liverworts  and  anemones.  Tears  of 
happiness  actually  stood  in  her  eyes,  and  she  could 
only  falter,  "O  mamma!  just  look!"  and  then  she 
hastened  away  to  gather  more. 

"  That  child  belongs  to  nature,"  I  said,  "  and  would 
always  be  an  exile  in  the  city.  How  greatly  she  has 
improved  in  health  already  !  " 


A   COUNTRY  SUNDAY.  1$? 

The  air  grew  damp  and  chill  early,  and  we  soon 
returned  to  the  house.  Monday  was  again  fair,  and 
found  us  absorbed  in  our  busy  life,  each  one  having 
plenty  to  do.  When  it  was  safe  to  uncover  the  rasp 
berries,  Merton  and  I  had  not  lost  a  moment  in  the 
task.  At  the  time  of  which  I  write  we  put  in  stakes 
where  they  were  missing,  obtaining  not  a  few  of  them 
from  the  wood  lot.  We  also  made  our  second  plant 
ing  of  potatoes  and  other  hardy  vegetables  in  the 
garden.  The  plants  in  the  kitchen  window  were 
thriving,  and  during  mild,  still  days  we  carried  them 
to  a  sheltered  place  without,  that  they  might  become 
inured  to  the  open  air. 

Winnie  already  had  three  hens  sitting  on  their 
nests  full  of  eggs,  and  she  was  counting  the  days 
until  the  three  weeks  of  incubation  should  expire, 
and  the  little  chicks  break  their  shells.  One  of  the 
hens  proved  a  fickle  biddy,  and  left  her  nest,  much 
to  the  child's  anger  and  disgust.  But  the  others  were 
faithful,  and  one  morning  Winnie  came  bounding  in, 
saying  she  had  heard  the  first  "peep."  I  told  her 
to  be  patient  and  leave  the  brood  until  the  following 
day,  since  I  had  read  that  the  chicks  were  stronger 
for  not  being  taken  from  the  nest  too  soon.  She  had 
treated  the  mother  hens  so  kindly  that  they  were 
tame,  and  permitted  her  to  throw  out  the  empty 
shells,  and  exult  over  each  new-comer  into  a  brief 
existence. 

Our  radishes  had  come  up  nicely ;  but  no  sooner 
had  the  first  green  leaves  expanded  than  myriads 
of  little  flea-like  beetles  devoured  them.  A  timely 
article  in  my  horticultural  paper  explained  that  if 


158  DRIVEN  SJACA'   TO  EDEN. 

little  chickens  were  allowed  to  run  in  the  garden 
they  would  soon  destroy  these  and  other  insects. 
Therefore  I  improvised  a  coop  by  laying  down  a  bar 
rel  near  the  radishes  and  driving  stakes  in  front  of 
it  to  confine  the  hen,  which  otherwise,  with  the  best 
intentions,  would  have  scratched  up  all  my  sprouting 
seeds.  Hither  we  brought  her  the  following  day, 
with  her  downy  brood  of  twelve,  and  they  soon 
began  to  make  themselves  useful.  Winnie  fed  them 
with  Indian-meal  and  mashed  potatoes,  and  watched 
over  them  with  more  than  their  mother's  solicitude, 
while  Merton  renewed  his  vigilance  against  hawks 
and  other  enemies. 

With  this  new  attraction,  and  wildflowers  in  the 
woods,  the  tying  up  of  raspberries  became  weary 
prose  to  Winnie  and  Bobsey ;  but  I  kept  them  at  it 
during  most  of  the  forenoon  of  every  pleasant  day, 
and  if  they  performed  their  task  carelessly,  I  made 
them  do  it  over.  I  knew  that  the  time  was  coming 
when  many  kinds  of  work  would  cease  to  be  play  to 
us  all,  and  that  we  might  as  well  face  the  fact  first 
as  last.  After  the  morning  duties  were  over,  and 
the  afternoon  lessons  learned,  there  was  plenty  of 
time  for  play,  and  the  two  little  people  enjoyed  it  all 
the  more. 

Merton,  also,  had  two  afternoons  in  the  week,  and 
he  and  Junior  began  to  bring  home  strings  of  sweet 
little  sunfish  and  winfish.  Boys  often  become  dis 
gusted  with  country  life  because  it  is  made  hard  and 
monotonous  for  them. 


STRAWBERRY   VISIONS  AND   "  PERTATERS."      I5Q 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

STRAWBERRY    VISIONS    AND 

I  HAD  decided  that  I  would  not  set  out  any  more 
raspberries  until  I  had  learned  the  comparative 
value  of  those  already  on  the  place.  After  I  had 
seen  my  varieties  in  bearing,  and  marketed  the  cropk 
I  should  be  better  able  to  make  a  wise  selection. 
"  Why  not  plant  only  the  best  and  most  profitable  ?  " 
I  reasoned.  At  Mr.  Jones's  suggestion  I  had  put  up 
notices  at  public  resorts,  and  inserted  a  brief  adver 
tisement  in  a  local  paper,  stating  that  I  had  plants 
for  sale.  As  a  result,  I  sold,  at  a  low  price,  it  is 
^true,  the  greater  part  of  the  young  plants  that  had 
been  trenched  in,  and  the  ready  money  they  brought 
was  very  acceptable. 

From  the  first,  my  mind  had  often  turned  towards 
strawberries  as  one  of  our  chief  crops.  They  prom 
ised  well  for  several  reasons,  the  main  one  being 
that  they  would  afford  a  light  and  useful  form  of 
labor  for  all  the  children.  Even  Bobsey  could  pick 
the  fruit  almost  as  well  as  any  of  us,  for  he  had  no 
long  back  to  ache  in  getting  down  to  it.  The  crop, 
also,  could  be  gathered  and  sold  before  the  raspberry 
season  began,  and  this  was  an  important  fact.  We 


160  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

should  also  have  another  and  earlier  source  of  in- 
come.  I  had  read  a  great  deal  about  the  cultivation 
of  the  strawberry,  and  I  had  visited  a  Maizeville 
neighbor  who  grew  them  on  a  large  scale,  and  had 
obtained  his  views.  To  make  my  knowledge  more 
complete,  I  wrote  to  my  Washington-Market  friend, 
Mr.  Bogart,  and  his  prompt  letter  in  reply  was 
encouraging. 

"  Don't  go  into  too  many  kinds,"  he  advised,  "  and 
don't  set  too  much  ground.  A  few  crates  of  fine 
berries  will  pay  you  better  than  bushels  of  small, 
soft,  worthless  trash.  Steer  clear  of  high-priced 
novelties  and  fancy  sorts,  and  begin  with  only  those 
known  to  pay  well  in  your  region.  Try  Wilson's 
(they're  good  to  sell,  if  not  to  eat)  and  Duchess  for 
early,  and  Sharpless  and  Champion  for  late.  Set 
the  last  two  kinds  out  side  by  side,  for  the  Champi 
ons  won't  bear  alone.  A  customer  of  mine  runs  on 
these  four  sorts.  He  gives  them  high  culture,  and 
gets  big  crops  and  big  berries,  which  pay  big.  When 
you  want  crates,  I  can  furnish  them,  and  take  my 
pay  out  of  the  sales  of  your  fruit.  Don't  spend 
much  money  for  plants.  Buy  a  few  of  each  kind, 
and  set  'em  in  moist  ground  and  let  'em  run.  By 
winter  you'll  have  enough  plants  to  cover  your 
farm." 

I  found  that  I  could  buy  these  standard  varieties 
in  the  vicinity ;  and  having  made  the  lower  part  of 
the  garden  very  rich,  I  procured,  one  cloudy  day,  two 
hundred  plants  of  each  kind  and  set  them  in  rows, 
six  feet  apart,  so  that  by  a  little  watchfulness  I  coulrj. 
keep  them  separate.  I  obtained  my  whole  stock  for 


STRA  WBERR  Y  VISIONS  AND  "  PER  TA  TERS?     1 6 1 

five  dollars ;  therefore,  counting  our  time  and  every 
thing,  the  cost  of  entering  on  strawberry  culture 
was  slight.  A  rainy  night  followed,  and  every  plant 
started  vigorously. 

In  spite  of  occasional  frosts  and  cold  rains,  the 
days  grew  longer  and  warmer.  The  cherry,  peach, 
plum,  and  pear  buds  were  almost  ready  to  burst 
into  bloom,  but  Mr.  Jones  shook  his  head  over  the 
orchard. 

"This  ain't  apple  year,"  he  said.  "Well,  no  mat- 
ter.  If  you  can  make  it  go  this  season,  you  will  be 
sure  of  better  luck  next  year." 

He  had  come  over  to  aid  me  in  choosing  a  two- 
acre  plot  of  ground  for  corn  and  potatoes.  This  we 
marked  out  from  the  upper  and  eastern  slope  of  a 
large  meadow.  The  grass  was  running  out  and 
growing  weedy. 

"It's  time  it  was  turned  over,"  my  neighbor  re 
marked  ;  "  and  by  fall  it'll  be  in  good  condition  for 
fruit." 

I  proposed  to  extend  my  fruit  area  gradually,  with 
good  reason,  fearing  that  much  hired  help  would 
leave  small  profits. 

That  very  afternoon  Mr.  Jones,  with  his  sharp 
steel  plough,  began  to  turn  over  clean,  deep,  even 
furrows  ;  for  we  had  selected  the  plot  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  it  was  not  stony,  as  was  the  case  with 
other  portions  of  our  little  farm. 

When,  at  last,  the  ground  was  ploughed,  he  said : 
"  I  wouldn't  harrow  the  part  meant  for  corn  till  you 
are  ready  to  plant  it,  say  about  the  loth  of  next 
month.  We'd  better  get  the  pertater  ground  ready 


1 62  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

and  the  rows  furrowed  out  right  off.  Early  plantin' 
is  the  best.  How  much  will  ye  give  to  'em  ? " 

"  Half  the  plot/'  I  said. 

"Why,  Mr.  Durham,  that's  a  big  plantin'  for 
pertaters." 

"Well,  I've  a  plan,  and  would  like  your  opinion. 
If  I  put  Early  Rose  potatoes  right  in,  when  can  I 
harvest  them  ? " 

"  Say  the  last  of  July  or  early  August,  accordin' 
to  the  season." 

"  If  we  keep  the  ground  clean  and  well  worked 
the  sod  will  then  be  decayed,  won't  it  ? " 

"  Yes,  nigh  enough.  Ye  want  to  grow  turnips  or 
fodder  corn,  I  s'pose  ?  " 

"No,  I  want  to  set  out  strawberries.  I've  read 
more  about  this  fruit  than  any  other,  and,  if  the 
books  are  right,  I  can  set  strong  plants  on  enriched 
ground  early  in  August  and  get  a  good  crop  next 
June.  Won't  this  pay  better  than  planting  next 
spring  and  waiting  over  two  years  from  this  time  for 
a  crop  ? " 

"  Of  course  it  will,  if  you're  right.  I  ain't  up  on 
strawberries." 

"Well,"  I  continued,  "it  looks  reasonable.  I  shall 
have  my  young  plants  growing  right  here  in  my  own 
garden.  Merton  and  I  can  take  them  up  in  the  cool 
of  the  evening  and  in  wet  weather,  and  they  won't 
know  they've  been,  moved.  I  propose  to  get  these 
early  potatoes  out  of  the  ground  as  soon  as  possible, 
even  if  I  have  to  sell  part  of  them  before  they  are 
fully  ripe ;  then  have  the  ground  ploughed  deep  and 
marked  out  for  strawberries,  put  all  the  fertilizers  I 


STRAWBERRY   VISIONS  AND   "  PERTATERS."      163 

can  scrape  together  in  the  rows,  and  set  the  plants 
as  fast  as  possible.  I've  read  again  and  again  that 
many  growers  regard  this  method  as  one  of  the 
best." 

"Well,  you're  comin'  on,  for  a  beginner.  I'm 
kind  o'  shy  of  book-plans,  though.  But  try  it.  I'll 
come  over,  as  I  used  to  when  old  man  Jamison  was 
here,  and  sit  on  the  fence  and  make  remarks." 

Planting  an  acre  of  potatoes  was  no  light  task  for 
us,  even  after  the  ground  was  ploughed  and  harrowed, 
and  the  furrows  for  the  rows  were  marked  out.  I 
also  had  to  make  a  half -day's  journey  to  the  city  of 
Newtown  to  buy  more  seed,  since  the  children's 
appetites  had  greatly  reduced  the  stock  in  the  root- 
cellar.  For  a  few  days  we  worked  like  beavers.  Even 
Winnie  helped  Merton  to  drop  the  seed ;  and  in 
the  evening  we  had  regular  potato-cutting  "bees," 
Junior  coming  over  to  aid  us,  and  my  wife  and  Mousie 
helping  also.  Songs  and  stories  enlivened  these 
evening  hours  of  labor.  Indeed,  my  wife  and  Mousie 
performed,  during  the  day,  a  large  part  of  this  task, 
and  they  soon  learned  to  cut  the  tubers  skilfully.  I 
have  since  known  this  work  to  be  done  so  carelessly 
that  some  pieces  were  cut  without  a  single  eye  upon 
them.  Of  course,  in  such  cases  there  is  nothing  to 
grow. 

One  Saturday  night,  the  last  of  April,  we  exulted 
over  the  fact  that  our  acre  was  planted  and  the  seed 
well  covered. 

Many  of  the  trees  about  the  house,  meantime,  had 
clothed  themselves  with  fragrant  promises  of  fruit. 
All,  especially  Mousie,  had  been  observant  of  the 


164  DRIVEN  BACK  TO   E&EN. 

beautiful  changes,  and,  busy  as  we  had  been,  she, 
Winnie,  and  Bobsey  had  been  given  time  to  keep 
our  table  well  supplied  with  wildflowers.  Now  that 
they  had  come  in  abundance,  they  seemed  as  essential 
as  our  daily  food.  To  a  limited  extent  I  permitted 
blooming  sprays  to  be  taken  from  the  fruit-trees, 
thinking,  with  Mousie,  that  "cherry  blossoms  are 
almost  as  nice  as  cherries."  Thus  Nature  graced 
our  frugal  board,  and  suggested  that,  as  she  accom 
panied  her  useful  work  with  beauty  and  fragrance, 
so  we  also  could  lift  our  toilsome  lives  above  the 
coarse  and  sordid  phase  too  common  in  country 
homes. 


CORN,   COLOR,  AND   MUSIC.  1 6$ 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

CORN,    COLOR,    AND    MUSIC. 

IN  early  May  the  grass  was  growing  lush  and 
strong,  and  Brindle  was  driven  down  the  lane  to 
the  meadow,  full  of  thickets,  which  bordered  on  the 
creek.  Here  she  could  supply  herself  with  food  and 
water  until  the  late  autumn. 

With  the  first  days  of  the  month  we  planted,  on  a 
part  of  the  garden  slope,  where  the  soil  was  dry  and 
warm,  very  early,  dwarf  sweet  corn,  a  second  early 
variety,  Burr's  Mammoth,  and  Stowell's  Evergreen. 

" These  several  kinds,"  I  said,  "will  give  us  a  suc 
cession  of  boiling  ears  for  weeks  together.  When 
this  planting  is  up  a  few  inches  high,  we  will  make 
another,  for,  by  so  doing,  my  garden  book  says,  we 
may  have  this  delicious  vegetable  till  frost  comes." 

After  reading  and  some  inquiry  during  the  winter 
I  had  decided  to  buy  only  McLean's  Gem  peas  for 
seed.  This  low-growing  kind  required  no  brush  and, 
therefore,  far  less  labor.  By  putting  in  a  row  every 
ten  days  till  the  last  of  June,  we  should  enjoy  green 
peas  of  the  sweet,  wrinkled  sort  till*  tired,  if  that  were 
possible.  We  also  planted  early  dwarf  wax-beans, 
covering  the  seed,  as  directed,  only  two  inches  deep 


1 66  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN". 

It  was  my  ambition  to  raise  a  large  crop  of  Lima 
beans,  having  read  that  few  vegetables  yield  more 
food  to  a  small  area  than  they.  So,  armed  with  an 
axe  and  a  hatchet,  Merton  and  I  went  into  some 
young  growth  on  the  edge  of  our  wood  lot  and  cut 
thirty  poles,  lopping  off  the  branches  so  as  to  leave 
little  crotches  on  which  the  vines  could  rest  for  sup 
port.  Having  sharpened  these  poles  we  set  them 
firmly  in  the  garden,  four  feet  apart  each  way,  then 
dug  in  some  very  fine  and  decayed  manure  around 
each  pole,  and  left  the  soil  for  a  day  or  two  to  grow 
warm  and  light.  My  book  said  that,  if  the  earth  was 
cold,  wet,  or  heavy  the  beans  would  decay  instead  of 
coming  up.  The  loth  of  the  month  being  fine  and 
promising,  I  pressed  the  eye  or  germ  side  of  the 
beans  into  the  soil  and  covered  them  only  one  inch 
deep.  In  the  evening  we  set  out  our  cabbage  and 
cauliflower  plants  where  they  should  be  allowed  to 
mature.  The  tomato  plants,  being  more  tender  than 
their  companions  started  in  the  kitchen  window, 
were  set  about  four  inches  apart  in  a  sheltered  place. 
We  could  thus  cover  them  at  night  and  protect  them 
a  little  from  the  midday  sun  for  a  week  or  two 
longer. 

Nor  were  Mousie's  flowering  plants  forgotten. 
She  had  watched  over  them  from  the  seed  with  tire 
less  care,  and  now  we  made  a  bed  and  helped  the 
happy  child  to  put  her  beloved  little  nurslings  in  the 
open  ground  where  they  were  to  bloom.  The  apple- 
trees  made  the  air  fragrant,  and  some  of  the  delicate 
pink  of  their  blossoms  was  in  Mousie's  cheeks. 

"  Truly,"  I  thought,  as  I  looked  into  her  sparkling 


CORN,    COLOR,   AND  MUSIC.  l6/ 

eyes,  "  if  we  can  but  barely  live  in  the  country,  I  am 
glad  we  came." 

The  next  morning  Merton  and  I  began  our  great 
undertaking,  —  the  planting  of  the  other  acre  of 
ground,  next  to  the  potatoes,  with  field  corn.  Mr. 
Jones  had  harrowed  it  comparatively  smooth.  I  had 
a  light  plough  with  which  to  mark  out  the  furrows 
four  feet  apart  each  way.  At  the  intersection  of 
these  furrows  the  seed  was  to  be  dropped.  I  found  I 
could  not  drive  our  old  bay  straight  across  the  field  to 
save  my  life,  and  neighbor  Jones  laughed  till  his  sides 
ached  at  the  curves  and  crooks  I  first  left  behind 
me. 

"Here,  Merton,"  I  cried,  nothing  daunted,  "we 
must  work  together  again.  Get  a  pole  and  stand  it 
on  the  farther  side  of  the  plot  four  feet  in  from  the 
edge  of  the  sod.  That's  right.  Now  come  here ; 
take  old  Bay  by  the  head,  and,  with  your  eyes  fixed 
on  the  pole,  lead  him  steadily  toward  it." 

A  furrow  was  now  made,  of  which  Mr.  Jones  him 
self  need  not  have  been  ashamed ;  and  he  laughed  as 
he  said,  at  parting:  "You'll  do.  I  see  you've  got 
enough  Yankee  in  you  to  try  more  ways  than  one." 

We  kept  at  work  manfully,  although  the  day  was 
warm,  and  by  noon  the  plot  was  furrowed  one  way. 
After  dinner  we  took  an  hour's  partial  rest  in  shelling 
our  corn,  and  then  resumed  our  work,  and  in  the 
same  manner  began  furrowing  at  right  angles  with 
the  first  rows.  The  hills  were  thus  about  four  feet 
apart  each  way.  Merton  dropped  the  corn  after  we 
had  run  half  a  dozen  furrows. 

"  Drop  five  kernels,"  I  said ;  for  Mr.  Jones  had 


1 68  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

told  us  that  four  stalks  were  enough  and  that  three 
would  do,  but  had  added  :  "  I  plant  five  kernels,  for 
some  don't  come  up,  and  the  crows  and  other  var 
mints  take  others.  If  all  of  'em  grow,  it's  easier  to 
pull  up  one  stalk  at  the  first  hoeing  than  to  plant 
over  again." 

We  found  that  putting  in  the  corn  was  a  lighter 
task  than  planting  the  potatoes,  even  though  we  did 
our  own  furrowing ;  and  by  the  middle  of  May  we 
were  complacent  over  the  fact  that  we  had  succeeded 
with  our  general  spring  work  far  better  than  we  had 
hoped,  remembering  that  we  were  novices  who  had 
to  take  so  much  counsel  from  books  and  from  our 
kind,  practical  neighbor. 

The  foliage  of  the  trees  was  now  out  in  all  its 
delicately  shaded  greenery,  and  midday  often  gave 
us  a  foretaste  of  summer  heat.  The  slight  blaze 
kindled  in  the  old  fireplace,  after  supper,  was  more 
for  the  sake  of  good  cheer  than  for  needed  warmth, 
and  at  last  it  was  dispensed  with.  Thrushes  and 
other  birds  of  richer  and  fuller  song  had  come,  and 
morning  and  evening  we  left  the  door  open  that  we 
might  enjoy  the  varied  melody. 

Our  first  plantings  of  potatoes  and  early  vegetables 
were  now  up  and  looked  promising.  So  a  new  phase 
of  labor  —  that  of  cultivation  —  began.  New  broods 
of  chickens  were  coming  off,  and  Winnie  had  many 
families  to  look  after.  Nevertheless,  although  there 
was  much  to  attend  to,  the  season  was  bringing  a 
short  breathing-spell,  and  I  resolved  to  take  advan 
tage  of  it.  So  I  said  one  Friday  evening :  "  If  to 
morrow  is  fair,  we'll  take  a  vacation.  What  do  you 
say  to  a  day's  fishing  and  sailing  on  the  river  ? " 


CORN,    COLOR,   AND   MUSIC.  1 69 

A  jubilant  shout  greeted  this  proposal,  and  when 
it  had  subsided,  Mousie  asked,  "  Can't  Junior  go  with 
us  ? " 

"Certainly,"  I  replied;  "I'll  go  over  right  after 
supper,  and  make  sure  that  his  father  consents." 

Mr.  Jones  said,  "Yes,"  and  Merton  and  Junior 
were  soon  busy  with  their  preparations,  which  were 
continued  until  the  long  twilight  deepened  into  dusk 


I7O  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

WE    GO    A-FISHING. 

THE  following  day,  happily,  proved  all  that  we 
could  desire.  The  children  were  up  with  the 
dawn,  and  Junior  was  not  long  in  joining  us.  By 
eight  o'clock  we  had  finished  breakfast  and  the 
morning  work,  our  lunch-basket  was  packed,  and  the 
market-wagon  stood  at  the  door.  Mr.  Jones  had 
good-naturedly  promised  to  take  a  look  at  the  prem 
ises  occasionally  to  see  that  all  was  right.  I  had  put 
but  one  seat  in  the  wagon  for  my  wife  and  myself, 
since  the  young  people  decided  that  a  straw-ride  to 
the  river  would  be  "more  fun  than  a  parlor-car." 

My  wife  entered  into  the  spirit  of  this  little  outing 
with  a  zest  which  gave  me  deep  content.  Her  face 
indicated  no  regretful  thoughts  turning  toward  the 
Egypt  of  the  city ;  her  mother  love  was  so  strong 
that  she  was  happy  with  the  children.  The  robins, 
of  which  there  seemed  no  end  about  the  house,  gave 
us  a  tuneful  and  hilarious  send-off ;  the  grown  people 
and  children  whom  we  met  smiled  and  cheered,  fol 
lowing  us  with  envious  eyes.  Each  of  the  children 
held  a  pole  aloft,  and  Merton  said  that  "  the  wagon 
looked  as  if  our  Lima-bean  patch  was  off  on  a  visit." 


172  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

In  the  village  we  increased  our  stock  of  lines  and 
hooks,  and  bought  a  few  corks  for  floats.  We  soon 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Moodna  Creek,  where  stood 
a  weather-beaten  boat-house,  with  a  stable  adjoining, 
in  which  old  Bay  could  enjoy  himself  in  his  quiet, 
prosaic  way.  A  good-sized  boat  was  hired,  and,  as 
the  tide  was  in,  we  at  first  decided  to  go  up  the  creek 
as  far  as  possible  and  float  down  with  the  ebb.  This, 
to  the  children,  was  like  a  voyage  of  discovery,  and 
there  was  a  general  airing  of  geography,  each  little 
bay,  point,  and  gulf  receiving  some  noted  name.  At 
last  we  reached  a  deep,  shaded  pool,  which  was 
eventually  dubbed  "  Bobsey's  Luck  ; "  for  he  nearly 
fell  into  it  in  his  eagerness  to  take  off  a  minnow  that 
had  managed  to  fasten  itself  to  his  hook. 

Merton  and  Junior,  being  more  experienced  anglers, 
went  ashore  to  make  some  casts  on  the  ripples  and 
rapids  of  the  stream  above,  and  secured  several  fine 
"winfish."  The  rest  of  us  were  content  to  take  it 
easy  in  the  shade  and  hook  an  occasional  cat  and 
sun  fish.  At  last  the  younger  children  wanted 
variety,  so  I  permitted  them  to  land  on  the  wooded 
bank,  kindle  a  little  fire,  and  roast  some  clams  that 
we  had  bought  at  the  boat-house.  The  smoke  and 
the  tempting  odors  lured  Merton  and  Junior,  who 
soon  proved  that  boys'  appetites  can  always  be  de 
pended  upon. 

Time  passed  rapidly,  and  I  at  last  noticed  that  the 
tide  had  fallen  to  such  a  degree  as  to  fill  me  with 
alarm. 

"  Come,  youngsters,"  I  cried,  "  we  must  go  back 
at  once,  or  we  shall  have  to  stay  here  till  almost 
night." 


WE   GO  A-FISHING,  173 

They  scrambled  on  board,  and  we  started  down- 
stream,  but  soon  came  to  shallow  water,  as  was 
proved  by  the  swift  current  and  the  ripples.  A  mo 
ment  later  we  were  hard  aground.  In  vain  we  pushed 
with  the  oars  ;  the  boat  would  not  budge.  Then  Jun 
ior  sat  down  and  coolly  began  to  take  off  shoes  and 
stockings.  In  a  flash  Merton  followed  his  example. 
There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  we  had  no  time  to  lose. 
Over  they  splashed,  lightening  the  boat,  and  taking 
the  "painter,"  or  tie-rope,  at  the  bow,  they  pulled 
manfully.  Slowly  at  first,  but  with  increasing  prog 
ress,  the  keel  grated  over  the  stones,  and  at  last  we 
were  again  afloat.  A  round  of  applause  greeted  the 
boys  as  they  sprung  back  into  the  boat,  and  away 
we  went,  cautiously  avoiding  shoals  and  sand-bars, 
until  we  reached  Plum  Point,  where  we  expected  to 
spend  the  remainder  of  the  day.  Here,  for  a  time, 
we  had  excellent  sport,  and  pulled  up  sun  fish  and 
white  perch  of  a  very  fair  size.  Bobsey  caught  so 
large  a  specimen  of  the  former  variety  that  he  had 
provided  himself  with  a  supper  equal  even  to  his 
capacity. 

The  day  ended  in  unalloyed  pleasure,  and  never 
had  the  old  farm-house  looked  so  like  home  as  when 
it  greeted  us  again  in  the  evening  glow  of  the  late 
spring  sun.  Merton  and  Junior  divided  the  finny 
spoils  to  their  satisfaction,  while  Winnie  and  I  vis 
ited  the  chicken-coops  and  found  that  there  had  been 
no  mishaps  during  our  absence.  I  told  my  boy  that 
I  would  milk  the  cow  while  he  cleaned  the  fish  for 
supper,  and  when  at  last  we  sat  down  we  formed  a 
tired,  hilarious,  and  hungry  group.  Surely,  if  fish 


174  DRIVEN'  BACK   7V   ED  EM. 

were  created  to  be  eaten,  our  enjoyment  of  their 
browned  sweetness  must  have  rounded  out  their  e^- 
istence  completely. 

"  O  papa ! "  exclaimed  Merton,  at  the  breakfast- 
table,  on  Monday  morning ;  "  we  haven't  planted 
any  musk  and  water  melons  ! " 

"That  is  true,"  I  replied.  "I  find  that  I  over- 
looked  melons  in  making  out  my  list  of  seeds.  In 
deed,  I  passed  them  over,  I  imagine,  as  a  luxury  that 
we  could  dispense  with  the  first  year." 

"  I'll  take  care  of  'em  if  you  will  only  let  us  have 
some,"  persisted  the  boy ;  and  the  other  children 
joined  in  his  request. 

"  But  the  garden  is  all  filled  up,"  I  said,  thought 
fully  ;  "  and  I  fear  it  is  too  late  to  plant  now." 

Looks  of  disappointment  led  me  to  think  further, 
and  I  got  one  of  my  seed  catalogues. 

"  Here  are  some  early  kinds  named,  and  perhaps 
they  would  mature  ;  but  where  shall  we  put  them  ? " 

"  Seems  to  me  we  had  better  have  a  little  less 
corn,  if  room  can  be  made  for  melons,"  was  Merton's 
suggestion. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  we'll  do,"  I  continued. 
"  We've  had  such  good  fortune  in  accomplishing  our 
early  work,  and  you  have  helped  so  nicely,  that  you 
shall  try  your  hand  at  melons.  Drive  your  mother 
and  Mousie  down  to  the  village  this  morning,  and 
get  some  seeds  of  the  nutmeg  musk-melon  and  Phin- 
ney's  early  watermelon.  I'll  take  two  rows  in  the 
early  corn  on  the  warm  garden  slope,  pull  up  every 
third  hill,  and  make,  in  their  places,  nice,  warm,  rich 
beds  for  the  seed  which  we  will  plant  as  soon  as  you 


WE   GO  A-FISHING.  175 

:ome  back.  I  don't  believe  the  corn  will  shade  the 
melon  vines  too  much  ;  and  as  soon  as  we  have  taken 
off  the  green  ears  we,  will  cut  away  the  stalks.  Thus 
we  shall  get  two  crops  from  the"same  ground." 

This  plan  was  carried  out,  and  the  melon-seed  came 
up  in  a  very  promising  way. 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEtf. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

WEEDS    AND    WORKING    FOR   DEAfr 

THE  beautiful  transition  period  of  spring  passing 
into  summer  would  have  filled  us  with  delight 
had  we  not  found  a  hostile  army  advancing  on  us,  — 
annual  weeds.  When  we  planted  the  garden,  the 
soil  was  brown  and  clean.  The  early  vegetables 
came  up  in  well-defined  green  rows,  the  weeds  ap 
pearing  with  them,  too  few  and  scattered  to  cause 
anxiety.  Now  all  was  changed.  Weeds  seemed 
created  by  magic  in  a  night.  The  garden  was  becom 
ing  evenly  green  throughout  ;  and  the  vegetables,  in 
some  cases,  could  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  the 
ranker  growth  of  crowding,  unknown  plants  among 
and  around  them.  I  also  saw  that  our  corn  and 
potato  field  would  soon  become,  if  left  alone,  as  ver 
dant  as  the  meadow  beyond.  I  began  to  fear  that 
we  could  not  cope  with  these  myriads  of  foes,  little 
no\v,  but  growing  while  we  slept,  and  stealing  a 
march  on  us  in  one  part  of  the  place  while  we  de 
stroyed  them  in  another. 

With  something  like  dismay  I  called  Mr.  Jones's 
attention  to  these  silent  forces,  invading,  not  only 
the  garden  and  fields,  but  the  raspberries  and,  indeed, 
all  the  ground  now  devoted  to  fruit. 


WEEDS  AND    WORKING  FOR  DEAR  LIFE.      IJJ 

He  laughed  and  said  :  "  The  Philistines  are  on  you, 
sure  enough.  I'm  busy  whackin'  them  over  myself, 
but  I  guess  I'll  have  to  come  and  give  you  a  lift,  for 
you  must  get  these  weeds  well  under  before  hayin' 
and  raspberry-pickin'  time  comes.  It's  warm  to-day, 
and  the  ground's  middlin'  dry.  I'll  show  you  what 
can  be  done  in  short  metre.  By  the  way,  I'll  give 
you  a  little  wrinkle  worth  knowin'.  I've  observed 
that  you  didn't  bring  the  children  to  the  country  to 
be  like  weeds,  —  just  ter  grow  and  run  ter  seed,  ye 
know.  It's  'stonishin'  how  soon  weeds,  whether 
they're  people  or  pusley,  get  seedy.  Well,  now,  call 
the  children  and  come  with  me  to  the  garden." 

We  were  all  soon  there,  including  my  wife,  who 
shared  my  solicitude. 

"You  see,"  resumed  Mr.  Jones,  "that  these 
weakly  little  rows  of  carrots,  beets,  and  onions  would 
soon  be  choked  by  these  weeds,  not  an  inch  high 
yet.  The  same  is  true  of  the  corn  and  peas  and 
other  sass.  The  pertaters  are  strong  enough  to  take 
care  ot  themselves  for  a  time,  but  not  long.  I  see 
you  and  Merton  have  been  tryin*  to  weed  and  hoe 
them  out  at  the  same  time.  Well,  you  can't  keep 
up  with  the  work  in  that  way.  Take  now  this  bed 
of  beets ;  the  weeds  are  gettin'  even  all  over  it,  and 
they're  thicker  if  anywhere,  right  in  the  row,  so 
that  it  takes  a  good  eye  to  see  the  beets.  But  here 
they  are,  and  here  they  run  across  the  bed  Now 
look  at  me.  One  good  showin'  is  worth  all  the  tel- 
lin'  and  readin'  from  now  to  Christmas.  You  see,  I 
begin  with  my  two  hands,  and  pull  out  all  the  weeds 
on  each  side  of  the  little  row,  and  I  pull  'em  away 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN.    »_ 

from  the  young  beets  so  as  not  to  disturb  them,  but 
to  leave  'em  standin'  straight  and  saucy.  Careless 
hands  will  half  pull  out  the  vegetables  at  the  same 
time  with  the  weeds.  I  had  to  strap  Junior  once 
before  he  learned  that  fact,  and  it  was  amazin'  how 
I  helped  his  eyesight  and  trained  his  fingers  through 
his  back.  Well,  now,  you  see,  I've  cleared  out  this 
row  of  beets  half  across  the  bed  and  the  ground  for 
an  inch  or  two  on  each  side  of  it.  I  drop  the  weeds 
right  down  in  the  spaces  between  the  rows,  for  the 
sun  will  dry  'em  up  before  dinner-time.  Now  I'll 
take  another  row." 

By  this  time  Merton  and  I  were  following  his  ex 
ample,  and  in  a  few  moments  a  part  of  three  more 
rows  had  been  treated  in  the  same  way. 

"Now,"  continued  Mr.  Jones,  "the  weeds  are  all 
out  of  the  rows  that  we've  done,  and  for  a  little  space 
on  each  side  of  'em.  The  beets  have  a  chance  to 
grow,  unchoked,  and  to  get  ahead.  These  other  lit 
tle  green  varmints  in  the  ground,  between  the  rows, 
are  too  small  to  do  any  harm  yet.  Practically,  the 
beets  are  cleaned  out,  and  will  have  all  the  ground 
they  need  to  themselves  for  three  or  four  days  ;  but 
these  weeds  between  the  rows  would  soon  swamp 
everything.  Now,  give  me  a  hoe,  and  I'll  fix  them." 

He  drew  the  useful  tool  carefully  and  evenly 
through  the  spaces  between  the  rows,  and  our  ene 
mies  were  lying  on  their  sides  ready  to  wither  away 
in  the  morning  sun. 

"You  see  after  the  rows  are  weeded  out  how 
quickly  you  can  hoe  the  spaces  between  'em,"  my 
neighbor  concluded.  "  Now  the  children  can  do 


WEEDS  AND    WORKING  FOR  DEAR  LIFE. 

this  weedin'.  Your  and  Merton's  time's  too  valyble. 
When  weeds  are  pulled  from  right  in  and  around 
vegetables,  the  rest  can  stand  without  harm  for  a 
while,  till  you  can  get  around  with  the  hoe  and  culti 
vator.  This  weedin'  out  business  is  'specially  im 
portant  in  rainy  weather,  for  it  only  hurts  ground  to 
hoe  or  work  it  in  wet,  showery  days,  and  the  weeds 
don't  mind  it  a  bit.  Warm,  sunny  spells,  when  the 
soil's  a  little  dry,  is  the  time  to  kill  weeds.  But  you 
must  be  careful  in  weedin'  then,  or  you'll  so  disturb 
the  young,  tender  sass  that  it'll  dry  up,  too.  See, 
I'll  pull  some  weeds  carelessly.  Now  obsarve  that 
the  beets  are  half  jerked  up  also.  Of  course  that 
won't  answer.  I'll  come  over  this  afternoon  with 
my  cultivator,  and  we'll  tackle. the  corn  and  perta- 
ters,  and  make  such  a  swath  among  these  green 
Philistines  that  you'll  sleep  better  to-night.  But 
ye're  goin'  to  come  out  right,  mind,  I  tell  ye  so  ;  and 
I've  seen  more'n  one  city  squash  come  to  the  coun 
try  with  the  idee  that  they  were  goin'  to  beat  r 
punkins  all  holler." 

And  he  left  us  laughing  and  hopeful. 

"  Come,  Winnie  and  Bobsey,  begin  here  on  each 
side  of  me.  I'll  show  you  this  morning,  and  then  I 
trust  you  can  be  left  to  do  the  weeding  carefully  by 
yourselves  to-morrow.  Pressing  as  the  work  is,  you 
shall  have  your  afternoons  until  the  berries  are  ripe." 

"Can't  I  help,  too?"  asked  Mousie. 

I  looked  into  her  eager,  wistful  face,  but  said, 
firmly :  "  Not  now,  dear.  The  sun  is  too  hot.  To 
ward  night,  perhaps,  I'll  let  you  do  a  little.  By  help 
ing  mamma  in  the  house,  you  are  doing  your  part." 


I  SO  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

We  made  good  progress,  and  the  two  younger 
children  speedily  learned  the  knack  of  working  care 
fully,  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  little  vegetables.  I 
soon  found  that  weeding  was  back-aching  work  for 
me,  and  therefore  "  spelled  "  myself  by  hoeing  out 
the  spaces  between  the  rows.  By  the  time  the 
music  of  the  dinner-bell  sounded,  hosts  of  our  ene 
mies  were  slain. 

Mr.  Jones,  true  to  his  promise,  was  on  hand  at 
one  o'clock  with  his  cultivator,  and  began  with  the 
corn,  which  was  now  a  few  inches  high.  Merton 
and  I  followed  with  hoes,  uncovering  the  tender 
shoots  on  which  earth  had  been  thrown,  and  dressing 
out  the  soil  into  clean  flat  hills.  As  our  neighbor 
had  said,  it  was  astonishing  how  much  work  the 
horse-cultivator  performed  in  a  short  time.  I  saw 
that  it  would  be  wise  for  us,  another  year,  to  plant 
in  a  way  that  would'  permit  the  use  of  horse-power. 
Even  in  the  garden  this  method  should  be  followed 
as  far  as  possible. 

Mr.  Jones  was  not  a  man  of  half-way  measures. 
He  remained  helping  us,  till  he  had  gone  through 
the  corn,  once  each  way,  twice  between  the  long 
rows  of  potatoes,  then  twice  through  all  the  rasp 
berry  rows,  giving  us  two  full  days  of  his  time  alto 
gether. 

I  handed  him  a  dollar  in  addition  to  the  sum  he 
charged,  saying  that  I  had  never  paid  out  money 
with  greater  satisfaction. 

"Well,"  he  said,  with  his  short,  dry  laugh,  "I'll 
take  it  this  time,  for  my  work  is  sufferin'  at  home, 
but  I  didn't  want  you  to  get  discouraged.  Now, 


WEEDS  AND    WORKING  FOR  DEAR   LIFE,      l8l 

keep  the  hoes  flyin',  and  you're  ahead  once  morq 
Junior's  at  it  early  and  late,  I  can  tell  ye." 

"So  I  supposed,  for  we've  missed  him." 

"Good  reason.  When  I'm  through  with  him  he'i 
ready  enough  to  crawl  into  his  little  bed." 

So  were  we  for  a  few  days,  in  our  winning  fight 
with  the  weeds.  One  hot  afternoon,  about  three 
o'clock,  I  saw  that  Merton  was  growing  pale,  and 
beginning  to  lag,  and  I  said,  decidedly :  "  Do  you 
see  that  tree  there  ?  Go  and  lie  down  under  it  till  I 
call  you." 

"I  guess  I  can  stand  it  till  night,"  he  began,  his 
pride  a  little  touched. 

"  Obey  orders  !     I  am  captain." 

In  five  minutes  he  was  fast  asleep.  I  threw  my 
coat  over  him,  and  sat  down,  proposing  to  have  a 
half-hour's  rest  myself.  My  wife  came  out  with  a 
pitcher  of  cool  butter-milk  and  nodded  her  head 
approvingly  at  us. 

"Well,  my  thoughtful  Eve,"  I  said,  "I  find  that 
our  modern  Eden  will  cost  a  great  many  back-aches." 

"If  you  will  only  be  prudent  like  this,  you  may 
save  me  a  heart-ache.  Robert,  you  are  ambitious, 
and  unused  to  this  kind  of  work.  Please  don't  ever 
be  so  foolish  as  to  forget  the  comparative  value  of 
Vegetables  and  yourselves.  Honestly  now"  (with 
one  of  her  saucy  looks),  "  I'd  rather  do  with  a  few 
bushels  less,  than  do  without  you  and  Merton ; "  and 
she  sat  down  and  kept  me  idle  for  an  hour. 

Then  Merton  got  up,  saying  that  he  felt  as  "fresh 
as  if  he  had  had  a  night's  rest,"  and  we  accomplished 
more  in  the  cool  of  the  day  than  if  we  had  kept 
doggedly  at  work. 


1 82  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

I  found  that  Winnie  and  Bobsey  required  rather 
different  treatment.  For  a  while  they  got  on  very 
well,  but  one  morning  I  set  them  at  a  bed  of  pars 
nips  about  which  I  was  particular.  In  the  middle  of 
the  forenoon  I  went  to  the  garden  to  see  how  they 
were  getting  on.  Shouts  of  laughter  made  me  fear 
that  all  was  not  well,  and  I  soon  discovered  that 
they  were  throwing  lumps  of  earth  at  each  other. 
So  absorbed  were  they  in  their  untimely  and  mis 
chievous  fun  that  I  was  not  noticed  until  I  found 
Bobsey  sitting  plump  on  the  vegetables,  and  the 
rows  behind  both  the  children  very  shabbily  cleaned, 
not  a  few  of  the  little  plants  having  been  pulled  up 
with  the  weeds. 

Without  a  word  I  marched  them  into  the  house, 
then  said  :  "  Under  arrest  till  night.  Winnie,  you 
go  to  your  room.  I  shall  strap  Bobsey  in  his  chair, 
and  put  him  in  the  parlor  by  himself." 

The  exchange  of  the  hot  garden  for  the  cool  rooms 
seemed  rather  an  agreeable  punishment  at  first,  al 
though  Winnie  felt  the  disgrace  somewhat.  When,  at 
dinner,  nothing  but  a  cup  of  water  and  a  piece  of  dry- 
bread  was  taken  to  them,  Bobsey  began  to  howl,  and 
Winnie  to  look  as  if  the  affair  was  growing  serious. 
Late  in  the  afternoon,  when  she  found  that  she  was 
not  to  gather  the  eggs  or  feed  her  beloved  chickens, 
she,  too,  broke  down  and  sobbed  that  she  "  wouldn't 
do  so  any  more."  Bobsey  also  pleaded  so  piteously 
for  release,  and  promised  such  saint-like  behavior, 
that  I  said  :  "  Well,  I  will  remit  the  rest  of  your 
punishment  and  put  you  on  trial.  You  had  no  ex 
cuse  for  your  mischief  this  morning,  for  I  allow  you 


WEEDS  AND  WORKING  FOR  DEAR  LIFE,      183 


to  play  the  greater  part  of  every 
afternoon,  while  Merton  must 
stand  by  me  the  whole  of  the 
week." 

My  touch  of  discipline  brought 
up  the  morale  of  my  little  squad 
^effectually  for  a  time.  The  next 


rr/fAW 


184  DRIVEN  SAC  A'  TO  EDEN. 

afternoon  even  the  memory  of  trouble  was  banished 
by  the  rinding  of  the  first  wild  strawberries.  Exul 
tation  and  universal  interest  prevailed  as  clusters  of 
green  and  red  berries  were  handed  around  to  be 
smelled  and  examined.  "Truly,"  my  wife  remarked, 
"  even  roses  can  scarcely  equal  the  fragrance  of  the 
wild  strawberry." 

From  that  day  forward,  for  weeks,  it  seemed  as  if 
we  entered  on  a  diet  of  strawberries  and  roses.  The 
old-fashioned  bushes  of  the  latter,  near  the  house, 
had  been  well  trimmed,  and  gave  large,  fine  buds  in 
consequence,  while  Mousie,  Winnie,  and  Bobsey 
gleaned  every  wild  berry  that  could  be  found,  begin 
ning  with  the  sunny  upland  slopes  and  following  the 
aromatic  fruit  down  to  the  cool,  moist  borders  of 
the  creek. 

"  Another  year,"  I  said,  "  I  think  you  will  be  tired 
even  of  strawberries,  for  we  shall  have  to  pick  early 
and  late." 


MATURE  SMILES  AND  HELPS.  185 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

NATURE    SMILES    AND    HELPS. 

THE  Saturday  evening  which  brought  us  almost 
to  the  middle  of  June  was  welcomed  indeed. 
The  days  preceding  had  been  filled  with  hard,  yet 
successful  labor,  and  the  weeds  had  been  slaughtered 
by  the  million.  The  greater  part  of  our  crops  had 
come  up  well  and  were  growing  nicely.  In  hoeing 
the  corn,  we  had  planted  over  the  few  missing  hills, 
and  now,  like  soldiers  who  had  won  the  first  great 
success  of  the  campaign,  we  were  in  a  mood  to  enjoy 
a  rest  to  the  utmost. 

This  rest  seemed  all  the  more  delightful  when  we 
awoke,  on  the  following  morning,  to  the  soft  patter 
of  rain.  The  preceding  days  had  been  unusually  dry 
and  warm,  so  that  the  grass  and  tender  vegetables 
were  beginning  to  surfer.  I  was  worrying  about  the 
raspberries  also,  which  were  passing  out  of  blos 
som.  The  cultivator  had  been  through  them,  and 
Merton  and  I,  only  the  evening  before,  had  finished 
hoeing  out  the  sprouting  weeds  and  surplus  suckers. 
I  had  observed,  with  dread,  that  just  as  the  fruit  was 
forming,  the  earth,  especially  around  the  hills,  was 
getting  dry. 


1 86  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

Now,  looking  out,  I  saw  that  the  needful  watering 
was  not  coming  from  a  passing  shower.  The  clouds 
were  leaden  from  horizon  to  horizon ;  the  rain  fell 
with  the  gentle  steadiness  of  a  quiet  summer  storm, 
and  had  evidently  been  falling  some  hours  already. 
The  air  was  so  fragrant  that  I  threw  wide  open  the 
door  and  windows.  It  was  a  true  June  incense,  such 
as  no  art  could  distil,  and  when,  at  last,  we  all  sat 
down  to  breakfast,  of  which  crisp  radishes  taken  a 
few  moments  before  from  our  own  garden  formed 
a  part,  we  felt  that  nature  was  carrying  on  our  work 
of  the  past  week  in  a  way  that  filled  our  hearts  with 
gratitude.  The  air  was  so  warm  that  we  did  not 
fear  the  dampness.  The  door  and  windows  were 
left  open  that  we  might  enjoy  the  delicious  odors 
and  listen  to  the  musical  patter  of  the  rain,  which 
fell  so  softly  that  the  birds  were  quite  as  tuneful  as 
on  other  days. 

The  children  joined  me  in  the  porch,  and  my  wife 
came  out  laughing,  and  put  her  hand  on  my  shoulder 
as  she  said,  "You  are  not  through  with  July  and 
August  yet." 

Mousie  held  her  hands  out  in  the  warm  rain,  say 
ing  :  "  I  feel  as  if  it  would  make  me  grow,  too. 
Look  at  the  green  cherries  up  there,  bobbing  as  the 
drops  hit  them." 

"Rain  isn't  good  for  chickens,"  Winnie  remarked, 
doubtfully. 

"It  won't  hurt  them,"  I  replied,  "for  I  have  fed 
them  so  well  that  they  needn't  go  out  in  the  wet  for 
food." 

The  clouds  gave   us   a   more   and   more   copious 


NATURE  SMILES  AND   HELPS.  187 

downfall  as  the  day  advanced,  and  I  sat  on  the  porch, 
resting  and  observing  with  conscious  gratitude  how 
beautifully  nature  was  furthering  all  our  labor,  and 
fulfilling  our  hopes.  This  rain  would  greatly  increase 
the  hay-crops  for  the  old  horse  and  the  cow  ;  it  would 
carry  my  vegetables  rapidly  toward  maturity ;  and, 
best  of  all,  would  soak  the  raspberry  ground  so  thor 
oughly  that  the  fruit  would  be  almost  safe.  What 
was  true  of  our  little  plot  was  equally  so  of  neighbor 
Jones's  farm,  and  thousands  of  others.  My  wife  sat 
with  me  much  of  the  day,  and  I  truly  think  that  our 
thoughts  were  acceptable  worship.  By  four  in  the 
afternoon  the  western  horizon  lightened,  the  clouds 
soon  broke  away,  and  the  sun  shone  out  briefly  in  un- 
diminished  splendor,  turning  the  countless  raindrops 
on  foliage  and  grass  into  gems,  literally,  of  the  purest 
water.  The  bird-songs  seemed  almost  ecstatic,  and 
the  voices  of  the  children,  permitted  at  last  to  go  out 
of  doors,  vied  with  them  in  gladness. 

"  Let  July  and  August  —  yes,  and  bleak  January  — 
bring  what  they  may,"  I  said  to  my  wife,  "  neverthe 
less,  this  is  Eden." 

In  spite  of  the  muddy  walks,  we  picked  our  way 
around  the  garden,  exclaiming  in  pleased  wonder  at 
the  growth  made  by  our  vegetable  nurslings  in  a  few 
brief  hours,  while,  across  the  field,  the  corn  and 
potato  rows  showed  green,  strong  outlines. 

I  found  that  Brindle  in  the  pasture  hadn't  minded 
the  rain,  but  only  appeared  the  sleeker  for  it.  When 
at  last  I  came  in  to  supper,  I  gave  my  wife  a  hand 
ful  of  berries,  at  which  she  and  the  children  exclaimed. 
I  had  permitted  a  dozen  plants  of  each  variety  of  m^ 


1 88  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

garden  strawberries  to  bear,  that  I  might  get  some 
idea  of  the  fruit.  The  blossoms  on  the  other  plants 
had  been  picked  off  as  soon  as  they  appeared,  so 
that  all  the  strength  might  go  toward  forming  new 
plants.  I  found  that  a  few  of  the  berries  of  the  two 
early  kinds  were  ripe,  also  that  the  robins  had  been 
sampling  them.  In  size,  at  least,  they  seemed  won. 
derful  compared  with  the  wild  fruit  from  the  field, 
and  I  said  :  — 

"  There  will  be  lively  times  for  us  when  we  must 
get  a  dozen  bushels  a  day,  like  these,  off  to  Mr. 
Bogart." 

The  children,  then,  thought  it  would  be  the  great 
est  fun  in  the  world.  By  the  time  supper  was  over, 
Mr.  Jones  and  Junior  appeared,  and  my  neighbor 
said  in  hearty  good-will  :  — 

"You  got  your  cultivatin*  done  in  the  nick  of 
time,  Mr.  Durham.  This  rain  is  a  good  hundred 
dollars  in  your  pocket  and  mine,  too." 

I  soon  perceived  that  our  enemies,  the  weeds,  had 
millions  in  reserve,  and  on  Monday, — the  day  after 
the  rain,  —  with  all  the  children  helping,  even  Mousie 
part  of  the  time,  we  went  at  the  garden  again.  To 
Mousie,  scarcely  an  invalid  any  longer,  was  given 
the  pleasure  of  picking  the  first  green  peas  and  shell 
ing  them  for  dinner.  We  had  long  been  enjoying 
the  succulent  lettuce  and  the  radishes,  and  now  I 
said  to  Winnie  :  "  To-morrow  you  can  begin  thinning 
out  the  beets,  leaving  the  plants  three  inches  apart. 
What  you  pull  up  can  be  cooked  as  spinach,  or 
'greens/  as  country  people  say.  Our  garden  will 
soon  enable  us  to  live  like  princes." 


NATURE  SMILES  AND  HELPS.  1 89 

As  the  ground  dried  after  the  rain,  a  light  crust 
formed  on  the  surface,  and  in  the  wetter  portions  it 
was  even  inclined  to  bake  or  crack.  I  was  surprised 
at  the  almost  magical  effect  of  breaking  up  the  crust 
and  making  the  soil  loose  and  mellow  by  cultivation. 
The  letting  in  of  air  and  light  caused  the  plants  to 
grow  with  wonderful  vigor. 

On  Wednesday  morning  Merton  came  running  in, 
exclaiming,  "O  papa!  there's  a  green  worm  eating 
all  the  leaves  off  the  currant  and  gooseberry  bushes." 

I  followed  him  hastily,  and  found  that  considerable 
mischief  had  already  been  done,  and  I  went  to  one 
of  my  fruit  books  in  a  hurry  to  find  out  how  to  cope 
with  this  new  enemy. 

As  a  result,  I  said :  "  Merton,  mamma  wishes  to 
go  to  the  village.  You  drive  her  and  Mousie  down, 
and  at  the  drug-store  get  two  pounds  of  white  helle 
bore,  also  a  pound  of  Paris  green,  for  I  find  that  the 
potato  bugs  are  getting  too  thick  to  be  managed  by 
hand.  Remember  that  these  are  poisons,  the  Paris 
green  a  deadly  one.  Have  them  carefully  wrapped 
up,  and  keep  them  from  everything  else.  When  you 
return  I'll  take  charge  of  them.  Also,  get  a  new 
large  watering-can." 

That  afternoon  I  mixed  a  heaping  tablespoonful  of 
the  hellebore  through  the  contents  of  the  watering- 
can,  on  which  I  had  painted  the  word  "  Poison." 
With  this  infusion  I  sprinkled  thoroughly  every  bush 
on  which  I  could  find  a  worm,  and  the  next  morning 
we  had  the  pleasure  of  finding  most  of  these  ene 
mies  dead.  But  some  escaped  or  new  ones  were 
hatched,  and  we  found  that  we  could  save  our  cur 


IQO  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN1. 

rants  only  by  constant  vigilance.  Every  evening, 
until  the  fruit  was  nearly  ripe,  we  went  over  the 
bushes,  and  gave  the  vile  little  pests  a  dose  wher 
ever  we  found  them.  Our  other  can  I  also  labelled 
"Poison,"  with  dashes  under  it  to  show  that  it  was 
to  be  used  for  Paris  green  only.  A  teaspoonful  of 
this  deadly  agent  was  enough,  according  to  my  book, 
for  the  amount  of  water  held  by  the  ordinary  wooden 
pail.  I  kept  this  poison  out  of  Bobsey's  reach,  and, 
indeed,  where  no  one  but  myself  could  get  at  it,  and, 
by  its  aid,  destroyed  the  potato  beetles  and  their 
larvae  also.  Whatever  may  be  true  in  other  parts  of 
the  world,  in  our  region,  certainly,  success  can  be  se 
cured  only  by  prompt,  intelligent  effort. 


CHERRIES,  BERRIES,  AND  BERRY-THIEVES.     19! 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

CHERRIES,  BERRIES,  AND    BERRY-THIEVES. 

AN  evening  or  two  after  this  we  were  taught  that 
not  even  in  our  retired  nook  had  we  escaped 
the  dangers  of  city  life.  Winnie  and  Bobsey,  in  their 
rambles  after  strawberries,  had  met  two  other  chil 
dren,  and,  early  in  the  acquaintance,  fortunately 
brought  them  to  the  house.  The  moment  I  saw  the 
strange  girl,  I  recognized  a  rural  type  of  Melissa 
Daggett,  while  the  urchin  of  Bobsey's  age  did  not 
scruple  to  use  vile  language  in  my  hearing.  I  doubt 
whether  the  poor  little  savage  had  any  better  vernac 
ular.  I  told  them  kindly  but  firmly  that  they  must 
not  come  on  the  place  again  without  my  permission. 

After  supper  I  went  over  and  asked  Mr.  Jones 
about  these  children,  and  he  replied,  significantly,, 
looking  around  first  to  make  sure  that  no  one  heard 
him:  — 

"  Mr.  Durham,  steer  clear  of  those  people.  You 
know  there  are  certain  varmints  on  a  farm  to  which 
we  give  a  wide  berth  and  kill  'em  when  we  can.  Of 
course  we  can't  kill  off  this  family,  although  a  good 
contribution  could  be  taken  up  any  day  to  move  'em 
a  hundred  miles  away.  Still  about  everybody  give? 


192  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

'em  a  wide  berth,  and  is  civil  to  their  faces.  They'll 
rob  you  more  or  less,  and  you  might  as  well  make  up 
your  mind  to  it,  and  let  'em  alone." 

"  Suppose  I  don't  let  them  alone  ? " 

"  Well  —  remember,  now,  this  is  wholly  between 
ourselves — there's  been  barns  burned  around  here. 
Everybody's  satisfied  who  sot  'em  afire,  but  nothin' 
can  be  proved.  Your  cow  or  horse,  too,  might  sud 
denly  die.  There's  no  tellin'  what  accidents  would 
happen  if  you  got  their  ill-will." 

"  I  can't  take  the  course  you  suggest  toward  this 
family,"  I  said,  after  a  little  thought.  "  It  seems  to 
me  wrong  on  both  sides.  On  one  hand,  they  are 
treated  as  outlaws,  and  that  would  go  far  to  make 
them  such  ;  on  the  other,  they  are  permitted  to  levy 
a  sort  of  black-mail  and  commit  crime  with  impunity. 
Of  course  I  must  keep  my  children  away  from  them ; 
but,  if  the  chance  offers,  I  shall  show  the  family  kind 
ness,  and  if  they  molest  me  I  shall  try  to  give  them 
the  law  to  the  utmost." 

"  Well,"  concluded  Mr.  Jones,  with  a  shrug,  "  I've 
warned  you,  if  they  git  down  on  yer,  yer'll  find  'em 
snakes  in  the  grass." 

Returning  home,  I  said  nothing  to  Winnie  and 
Bobsey  against  their  recent  companions,  but  told 
them  that  if  they  went  with  them  again,  or  made  the 
acquaintance  of  other  strangers  without  permission, 
they  would  be  put  on  bread  and  water  for  an  entire 
day,  —  that  all  such  action  was  positively  forbidden. 

It  was  evident,  however,  that  the  Melissa  Daggett 
element  was  present  in  the  country,  and  in  an  aggra 
vated  form.  That  it  was  not  next  door,  or,  rather,  in 


CHERRIES,  BERRIES,   AND  BERRY-THIEVES,     193 

the  next  room,  was  the  redeeming  feature.  Residents 
in  the  country  are  usually  separated  by  wide  spaces 
from  evil  association. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  my  wife  and  children 
had  no  society  except  that  afforded  by  Mr.  Jones's 
family.  They  were  gradually  making  pleasant  and 
useful  acquaintances,  especially  among  those  whom 
we  met  at  church  ;  but  as  these  people  have  no 
material  part  in  this  simple  history,  they  are  not  men 
tioned. 

The  most  important  activities  of  the  season  were 
now  drawing  very  near.  The  cherries  were  swelling 
fast ;  the  currants  were  growing  red,  and  were  al 
ready  pronounced  "nice  for  pies  ;"  and  one  morning 
Merton  came  rushing  in  with  a  red  raspberry  from 
the  Highland  Hardy  variety.  I  was  glad  the  time 
was  at  hand  when  I  should  begin  to  receive  some 
thing  besides  advice  from  Mr.  Bogart ;  for,  careful  as 
we  had  been,  the  drain  on  my  capital  had  been  long 
and  steady,  and  we  were  eager  for  the  turn  of  the 
tide. 

I  had  bought  a  number  of  old  Mr.  Jamison's  crates, 
had  painted  out  his  name  and  replaced  it  with  mine. 
I  now  wrote  to  Mr.  Bogart  for  packages  best  adapted 
to  the  shipping  of  cherries,  currants,  and  raspberries. 
For  the  first  he  sent  me  baskets  that  held  about 
a  peck.  These  baskets  were  so  cheap  that  they 
could  be  sold  with  the  fruit.  For  currants,  crates 
containing  twenty-four  quart  baskets,  were  forwarded. 
These,  he  wrote,  would  also  do  for  black-caps  this 
season,  and  for  strawberries  next  year.  F<Sr  the  red 
raspberries  he  sent  me  quite  different  crates,  filled 


194  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

with  little  baskets  holding  only  half  a  pint  of  fruit 
Limited  supplies  of  these  packages  were  sent,  for  he 
said  that  a  telegram  would  bring  more  the  same  day. 

The  corn  and  potatoes  were  becoming  weedy 
again.  This  time  I  made  use  of  a  light  plough,  Mer- 
ton  leading  old  Bay  as  at  first.  Then,  with  our  hoes, 
we  gave  the  rows  a  final  dressing-out.  By  the  time 
we  had  finished,  some  of  our  grass  was  fit  to  cut, 
the  raspberries  needed  a  careful  picking  over,  and  the 
cherries  on  one  tree  were  ready  for  market.  The 
children  and  robins  had  already  feasted,  but  I  was 
hungry  for  a  check  from  New  York. 

I  had  long  since  decided  not  to  attempt  to  carry 
on  haying  alone  at  this  critical  season,  but  had  hired 
a  man,  too  aged  to  hold  his  own  among  the  harvest- 
ers  on  the  neighboring  farms.  Mr.  Jones  had  said 
of  him  :  "  He's  a  careful,  trusty  old  fellow,  who  can 
clo  a  good  day's  work  yet  if  you  don't  hurry  him. 
Most  of  your  grass  is  in  the  meadow,  some  parts  fit 
to  cut  before  the  others.  Let  the  old  man  begin  and 
mow  what  he  can,  every  day.  Then  you  won't  have 
to  cure  and  get  in  a  great  lot  of  hay  all  at  once,  and 
perhaps,  too,  when  your  raspberries  most  need  pick- 


in'.' 


So,  during  the  last  days  of  June,  old  Mr.  Jacox, 
who  came  at  moderate  wages,  put  in  his  scythe  on 
the  uplands.  I  spread  the  grass  and  raked  it  up 
when  dry,  and,  with  the  aid  of  Merton  and  a  rude, 
extemporized  rack  on  the  market-wagon,  got  the  hay 
gradually  into  the  barn.  This  labor  took  only  part 
of  the  day  ;»  the  rest  of  the  time  was  employed  in  the 
garden  and  in  picking  fruit. 


CHERRIES,  BERRIES,   AND   BERRY-THIEVES.     195 

On  the  last  day  of  June  we  gathered  a  crate  of 
early  raspberries  and  eight  baskets  of  cherries.  In 
the  cool  of  the  afternoon,  these  were  placed  in  the 
wagon,  and  with  my  wife  and  the  three  younger  chil 
dren,  I  drove  to  the  Maizeville  Landing  with  our  first 
shipment  to  Mr.  Bogart. 


"We  are  'p'oducers,'  at  last,  as  Bobsey  said,"  I 
cried,  joyously.  "  And  I  trust  that  this  small  begin 
ning  will  end  in  such  big  loads  as  will  leave  us  no 
room  for  wife  and  children,  but  will  eventually  givo 
them  a  carriage  to  ride  in." 


196  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

Merton  remained  on  guard  to  watch  our  precious 
ripening  fruit. 

After  our  departure  he  began  a  vigilant  patrol  of 
the  place,  feeling  much  like  a  sentinel  left  on  guard. 
About  sun-down,  he  told  me,  as  he  was  passing 
through  the  raspberry  field,  he  thought  he  caught  a 
glimpse  of  an  old  straw  hat  dodging  down  behind 
the  bushes.  He  bounded  toward  the  spot,  a  moment 
later  confronting  three  children  with  tin  pails.  The 
two  younger  proved  to  be  Winnie's  objectionable 
acquaintances  that  I  had  told  to  keep  off  the  place. 
The  eldest  was  a  boy,  not  far  from  Merton's  age,  and 
had  justly  won  the  name  of  being  the  worst  boy  in 
the  region.  All  were  the  children  of  the  dangerous 
neighbor  against  whom  Mr.  Jones  had  warned  me. 

The  boy  at  first  regarded  Merton  with  a  sullen, 
defiant  look,  while  his  brother  and  sister  coolly  con 
tinued  to  steal  the  fruit. 

"Clear  out,"  cried  Merton.  "We'll  have  you  put 
in  jail  if  you  come  here  again." 

"  You  shut  up  and  clear  out  yerself,"  said  the  boy, 
threateningly,  "or  I'll  break  yer  head.  Yer  pap's 
away,  and  we  ain't  afraid  of  you.  What's  more, 
we're  goin'  ter  have  some  cherries  before  — " 

Now  Merton  had  a  quick  temper,  and  at  this  mo 
ment  sprung  at  the  fellow  who  was  adding  insult  to 
injury,  so  quickly  that  he  got  in  a  blow  that  black 
ened  one  of  the  thief's  eyes. 

Then  they  clinched,  and,  although  his  antagonist 
was  the  heavier,  Merton  thinks  he  could  have 
whipped  him  had  not  the  two  younger  marauders 
attacked  him  tooth  and  nail,  like  cats.  Finding  him- 


CHERRIES,   BERRIES,   AND   BERRY-THIEVES.     19? 

self  getting  the  worst  of  it,  he  instinctively  sent  out 
a  cry  for  his  stanch  friend  Junior. 

Fortunately,  this  ally  was  coming  along  the  road 
toward  our  house,  and  he  gave  an  answering  halloo. 

The  vagrants,  apparently,  had  a  wholesome  fear  of 
John  Jones,  junior,  for,  on  hearing  his  voice,  they  beat 
a  hurried  retreat ;  but  knowing  that  no  one  was  at  the 
house,  and  in  the  spirit  of  revengeful  mischief,  they 
took  their  flight  in  that  direction.  Seeing  Mousie's 
flower-bed,  they  ran  and  jumped  upon  that,  breaking 
down  half  the  plants,  then  dashed  off  through  the 
coops,  releasing  the  hens,  and  scattering  the  broods 
of  chickens.  Merton  and  Junior,  who  for  a  few  mo 
ments  had  lost  sight  of  the  invaders  in  the  thick 
raspberry  bushes,  were  now  in  hot  pursuit,  and  would 
have  caught  them  again,  had  they  not  seen  a  man 
coming  up  the  lane,  accompanied  by  a  big  dog. 
Junior  laid  a  hand  on  headlong  Merton,  whose  blood 
was  now  at  boiling  heat,  and  said,  "  Stop." 


198  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  ED  EM 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

GIVEN    HIS    CHOICE. 

» 

JUNIOR  had  good  reason  for  bringing  Merton  to 
I  a  sudden  halt  in  his  impetuous  and  hostile  ad 
vance.  The  man  coming  up  the  lane,  with  a  savage 
dog,  was  the  father  of  the  ill-nurtured  children.  He 
had  felt  a  little  uneasy  as  to  the  results  of  their  raid 
upon  our  fruit,  and  had  walked  across  the  fields  to 
give  them  the  encouragement  of  his  presence,  or 
to  cover  their  retreat,  which  he  now  did  effectually. 

It  took  Junior  but  a  moment  to  explain  to  my  boy 
that  they  were  no  matcu  "for  the  two  brutes,"  as  he 
expressed  himself,  adding,  "  The  man  is  worse  than 
the  dog." 

Merton,  however,  was  almost  reckless  from  anger 
and  a  sense  of  unprovoked  wrong,  and  he  darted 
into  the  house  for  his  gun. 

"See  here,  Merton,"  said  Junior,  firmly,  "shoot 
the  dog  if  they  set  him  on  us,  but  never  fire  at  a 
human  being.  You'd  better  give  me  the  gun  ;  I  am 
cooler  than  you  are." 

They  had  no  occasion  to  use  the  weapon,  however, 
The  man  shook  his  fist  at  them,  while  his  children 
indulged  in  taunts  and  coarse  derision.  The  dog, 


GIVEN  HIS  CHOICE.  199 

sharing  their  spirit  and  not  their  discretion,  started 
for  the  boys,  but  was  recalled,  and  our  undesirable 
neighbors  departed  leisurely. 

All  this  was  related  to  me  after  night-fail,  when  I 
returned  with  my  wife  and  younger  children  from 
the  Maizeville  Landing.  I  confess  that  I  fully  shared 
Merton's  anger,  although  I  listened  quietly. 

"You  grow  white,  Robert,  when  you  are  angry," 
said  my  wife.  "  I  suppose  that's  the  most  dangerous 
kind  of  heat — white-heat.  Don't  take  the  matter  so 
to  heart.  We  can't  risk  getting  the  ill-will  of  these 
ugly  people.  You  know  what  Mr.  Jones  said  about 
them." 

"This  question  shall  be  settled  in  twenty-four 
hours ! "  I  replied.  "  That  man  and  his  family  are 
the  pest  of  the  neighborhood,  and  every  one  lives  in 
a  sort  of  abject  dread  of  them.  Now,  the  neighbors 
must  say  'yes'  or  'no*  to  the  question  whether  we 
shall  have  decency,  law,  and  order,  or  not.  Merton, 
unharness  the  horse.  Junior,  come  with  me ;  I'm 
going  to  see  your  father." 

I  found  Mr.  Jones  sleepy  and  about  to  retire,  but 
his  blue  eyes  were  soon  wide  open,  with  an  angry 
fire  in  them. 

"  You  take  the  matter  very  quietly,  Mr.  Durham," 
he  said;  "more  quietly  than  I  could." 

"  I  shall  not  fume  about  the  affair  a  moment.  I 
prefer  to  act.  The  only  question  for  you  and  the 
other  neighbors  to  decide  is,  Will  you  act  with  me  ? 
I  am  going  to  this  man  Bagley's  house  to-morrow,  to 
give  him  his  choice.  It's  either  decency  and  law- 
abiding  on  his  part,  now,  or  prosecution  before  the 


200  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDE& 

law  on  mine.  You  say  that  you  are  sure  that  he  has 
burned  barns,  and  made  himself  generally  the  terror 
of  the  region.  Now,  I  won't  live  in  a  neighborhood 
infested  by  people  little  better  than  wild  Indians. 
My  feelings  as  a  man  will  not  permit  me  to  submit 
to  insult  and  injury.  What's  more,  it's  time  the 
people  about  here  abated  this  nuisance." 

"  You  are  right,  Robert  Durham  !  "  said  Mr.  Jones, 
springing  up  and  giving  me  his  hand.  "I've  felt 
mean,  and  so  have  others,  that  we've  allowed  our 
selves  to  be  run  over  by  this  rapscallion.  If  you  go 
to-morrow,  I'll  go  with  you,  and  so  will  Rollins.  His 
hen-roost  was  robbed  t'other  night,  and  he  tracked 
the  thieves  straight  toward  Bagley's  house.  He 
says  his  patience  has  given  out.  It  only  needs  a 
leader  to  rouse  t.he  neighborhood,  but  it  ain't  very 
creditable  to  U3  that  we  let  a  new-comer  like  you 
face  the  thing  first." 

"Very  well/'  I  said,  "it's  for  you  and  your  neigh 
bors  to  show  now  how  much  grit  and  manhood  you 
have,  I  shall  start  for  Bagley's  house  at  nine,  to 
morrow.  Of  course  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  company, 
and  if  he  sees  that  the  people  will  not  stand  any 
more  of  his  rascality,  he'll  be  more  apt  to  behave 
himself  or  else  clear  out." 

"  He'll  have  to  do  one  or  the  other,"  said  Mr.  Jones, 
grimly.  "I'll  go  right  down  to  Rollins's.  Come, 
Junior,  we  rnay  want  you." 

At  eight  o'clock  the  next  morning,  a  dozen  men, 
including  the  constable,  were  in  our  yard.  My  wife 
whispered,  "Do  be  prudent,  Robert."  She  was 
much  re-assured,  however,  by  the  largeness  of  our 
force. 


GIVEN  HIS  CHOICE.  2OI 

We  soon  reached  the  dilapidated  hovel,  and  were 
so  fortunate  as  to  find  Bagley  and  all  his  family  at 
home.  Although  it  was  the  busiest  season,  he  was 
idle.  As  I  led  my  force?  straight  toward  his  door,  it 
was  evident  that  he  was  surprised  and  disconcerted, 
in  spite  of  his  attempt  to  maintain  a  sullen  and 
defiant  aspect.  I  saw  his  evil  eye  resting  on  one 
and  another  of  our  group,  as  if  he  were  storing  up 
grudges  to  be  well  paid  on  future  dark  nights.  His 
eldest  son  stood  with  the  dog  at  the  corner  of  the 
house,  and  as  I  approached,  the  cur,  set  on  by  the 
boy,  came  toward  me  with  a  stealthy  step.  I  carried 
a  heavy  cane,  and  just  as  the  brute  was  about  to 
take  me  by  the  leg,  I  struck  him  a  blow  on  the  head 
that  sent  him  howling  away. 

The  man,  for  a  moment,  acted  almost  as  if  he  had 
been  struck  himself.  His  bloated  visage  became  in 
flamed,  and  he  sprung  toward  me. 

"  Stop ! "  I  thundered.  My  neighbors  closed  around 
me,  and  he  instinctively  drew  back. 

"Bagley,"  I  cried,  "look  me  in  the  eye."  And 
he  fixed  upon  me  a  gaze  full  of  impotent  anger. 
"Now,"  I  resumed,  "I  wish  you  and  your  family 
to  understand  that  you've  come  to  the  end  of  your 
rope.  You  must  become  decent,  law-abiding  people, 
like  the  rest  of  us,  or  we  shall  put  you  where  you 
can't  harm  us.  I,  for  one,  am  going  to  give  you 
a  last  chance.  Your  children  were  stealing  my  fruit 
last  night,  and  acting  shamefully  afterward.  You 
also  trespassed,  and  you  threatened  these  two  boys  ; 
you  are  idle  in  the  busiest  time,  and  think  you  can 
live  by  plunder.  Now,  you  and  yours  must  turn  the 


2O2  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

sharpest  corner  you  ever  saw.  Your  two  eldest  chil 
dren  can  come  and  pick  berries  for  me  at  the  usual 
wages,  if  they  obey  my  orders  and  behave  them 
selves.  One  of  the  neighbors  here  says  he'll  give 
you  work,  if  you  try  to  do  it  well.  If  you  accept 
these  terms,  I'll  let  the  past  go.  If  you  don't,  I'll 
have  the  constable  arrest  your  boy  at  once,  and  I'll 
see  that  he  gets  the  heaviest  sentence  the  law  allows, 
while  if  you  or  your  children  make  any  further  trou 
ble,  I'll  meet  you  promptly  in  every  way  the  law- 
permits.  But,  little  as  you  deserve  it,  I  am  going  to 
give  you  and  your  family  one  chance  to  reform,  before 
proceeding  against  you.  Only  understand  one  thing, 
I  am  not  afraid  of  you.  I've  had  my  say." 

"  I  haven't  had  mine,"  said  Rollins,  stepping  for 
ward  excitedly.  "You,  or  your  scapegrace  boy 
there,  robbed  my  hen-roost  the  other  night,  and  you've 
robbed  it  before.  There  isn't  a  man  in  this  region 
but  believes  that  it  was  you  who  burned  the  barns  and 
hay-stacks.  We  won't  stand  this  nonsense  another 
hour.  You've  got  to  come  to  my  hay-fields  and  work 
out  the  price  of  those  chickens,  and  after  that  I'll 
give  you  fair  wages.  But  if  there's  any  more  trouble, 
we'll  clean  you  out  as  we  would  a  family  of  weasels." 

"Yes,  neighbor  Bagley,"  added  Mr.  Jones,  in  his 
dry,  caustic  way,  "think  soberly.  I  hope  you  are 
sober.  I'm  not  one  of  the  threatening  barkin'  sort, 
but  I've  reached  the  p'int  where  I'll  bite.  The  law 
will  protect  us,  an',  the  hull  neighborhood  has  re 
solved,  with  Mr.  Durham  here,  that  you  and  your 
children  shall  make  no  more  trouble  than  he  and 
his  children.  See?"  +^. 


GIVEN  HIS  CHOICE.  2O3 

"Look-a-here,"  began  the  man,  blusteringly,  "you 
needn't  come  threatenin'  in  this  blood-and-thunder 
style.  The  law'll  protect  me  as  well  as  —  " 

Ominous  murmurs  were  arising  from  all  my  neigh 
bors,  and  Mr.  Jones  now  came  out  strong. 

"Neighbors,"  he  said,  "keep  cool.  The  time  to 
act  hasn't  come  yet.  See  here,  Bagley,  it's  hayin' 
and  harvest.  Our  time's  vallyble,  whether  yours  is 
or  not.  You  kin  have  just  three  minutes  to  decide 
whether  you'll  take  your  oath  to  stop  your  maraudin' 
and  that  of  your  children ; "  and  he  pulled  out  his 
watch. 

"  Let  me  add  my  word,"  said  a  little  man,  stepping 
forward.  "  I  own  this  house,  and  the  rent  is  long 
overdue.  Follow  neighbor  Jones's  advice  or  we'll  see 
that  the  sheriff  puts  your  traps  out  in  the  middle  of 
the  road." 

"Oh,  of  course,"  began  Bagley.  "What  kin  one 
feller  do  against  a  crowd  ?  " 

"  Swar5,  as  I  told  you,"  said  Mr.  Jones,  sharply  and 
emphatically.  "What  do  you  mean  by  hangin'  fire 
so  ?  Do  you  s'pose  this  is  child's  play  and  make-be 
lieve  ?  Don't  ye  know  that  when  quiet,  peaceable 
neighbors  git  riled  up  to  our  pitch,  they  mean  what 
they  say  ?  Swar',  as  I  said,  and  be  mighty  sudden 
about  it." 

"Don't  be  a  fool,"  added  his  wife,  who  stood 
trembling  behind  him.  "  Can't  you  see  ?" 

"Very  well,  I  swar'  it,"  said  the  man,  in  some  trep 
idation. 

"Now,  Bagley,"  said  Mr.  Jones,  putting  back  his 
watch,  "we  want  to  convert  you  thoroughly  this 


2O4  DRIVEN  BACK  TV     EDEN. 

mornin'.  The  first  bit  of  mischief  that  takes  place  in 
this  borough  will  bring  the  weight  of  the  law  on 
you ; "  and,  wheeling  on  his  heel,  he  left  the  yard, 
followed  by  the  others. 


GIVEN  A    CHANCE.  3O5 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

GIVEN   A   CHANCE. 

in,  Mr.  Bagley,"  I  said,  "and  bring  the 
children.  I  want  to  talk  with  you  all.  Mer- 
ton,  you  go  home  with  Junior." 

"But,  papa  —  "  he  objected. 

"Do  as  I  bid  you,"  I  said,  firmly,  and  I  entered 
the  squalid  abode. 

The  man  and  the  children  followed  me  wonder- 
ingly.  I  sat  down  and  looked  the  man  steadily  in 
the  eye  for  a  moment. 

"Let  us  settle  one  thing  first,"  I  began.  "Do 
you  think  I  am  afraid  of  you  ? " 

"  S'pose  not,  with  sich  backin'  as  yer  got,"  was  the 
somewhat  nervous  reply. 

"  I  told  Mr.  Jones  after  I  came  home  last  night 
that  I  should  fight  this  thing  alone  if  no  one  stood 
by  me.  But  you  see  that  your  neighbors  have  reached 
the  limit  of  forbearance.  Now,  Mr.  Bagley,  I  didn't 
remain  to  threaten  you.  There  has  been  enough  of 
that,  and  from  very  resolute,  angry  men,  too.  I  wish 
to  give  you  and  yours  a  chance.  You've  come  to  a 
place  where  two  roads  branch ;  you  must  take  one  or 
the  other.  You  can't  help  yourself.  You  and  you* 


206  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

children  won't  be  allowed  to  steal  or  prowl  about  any 
more.  That's  settled.  If  you  go  away  and  begin 
the  same  wretched  life  elsewhere,  you'll  soon  reach 
the  same  result ;  you  and  your  son  will  be  lodged  in 
jail  and  put  at  hard  labor.  Would  you  not  better 
make  up  your  mind  to  work  for  yourself  and  family, 
like  an  honest  man  ?  Look  at  these  children.  How 
are  you  bringing  them  up  ?  —  Take  the  road  to  the 
right.  Do  your  level  best,  and  I'll  help  you.  I'll  let 
bygones  be  bygones,  and  aid  you  in  becoming  a  re 
spectable  citizen." 

"  O  Hank,  do  be  a  man,  now  that  Mr.  Durham 
gives  you  a  chance,"  sobbed  his  wife;  "you  know 
we've  been  living  badly." 

"That's  it,  Bagley.  These  are  the  questions  you 
must  decide.  If  ^ou'll  try  to  be  a  man,  I'll  give  you 
my  hand  to  stand  by  you.  My  religion,  such  as  it  is, 
requires  that  I  shall  not  let  a  man  go  wrong  if  I  can 
help  it.  If  you'll  take  the  road  to  the  right  and  do 
your  level  best,  there's  my  hand." 

The  man  showed  his  emotion  by  a  slight  tremor 
only,  and  after  a  moment's  thoughtful  hesitation  he 
took  my  hand  and  said,  in  a  hoarse,  choking  voice  : 
"  You've  got  a  claim  on  me  now  which  all  the  rest 
couldn't  git,  even  if  they  put  a  rope  around  my  neck. 
I  s'pose  I  have  lived  like  a  brute,  but  I've  been  treated 
like  one,  too." 

"  If  you'll  do  as  I  say,  I'll  guarantee  that  within 
six  months  you'll  be  receiving  all  the  kindness  that  a 
self-respecting  man  wants,"  I  answered. 

Then,  turning  to  his  wife,  I  asked,  "What  have 
you  in  the  house  to  eat  ?  " 


B  \GLEY   32CINS   A    >'2V/    LTFS. 


2O8  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"  Next  to  nothin',"  she  said,  drying  her  eyes  with 
her  apron,  and  then  throwing  open  their  bare  cup 
board. 

"  Put  on  your  coat,  Bagley,  and  come  with  me,"  I 
said. 

He  and  his  wife  began  to  be  profuse  with  thanks. 

"  No,  no  !  "  I  said,  firmly.  "  I'm  not  going  to  give 
you  a  penny's  worth  of  anything  while  you  are  able 
to  earn  a  living.  You  shall  have  food  at  once  ;  but  I 
shall  expect  you  to  pay  for  it  in  work.  I  am  going 
to  treat  you  like  a  man  and  a  woman,  and  not  like 
beggars." 

A  few  minutes  later,  some  of  the  neighbors  were 
much  surprised  to  see  Bagley  and  myself  going  up 
the  road  together. 

My  wife,  Merton,  and  tender-hearted  Mousie  were 
at  the  head  of  the  lane  watching  for  me.  Re-assured, 
as  we  approached,  they  returned  wonderingly  to  the 
house,  and  met  us  at  the  door. 

"This  is  Mrs.  Durham,"  I  said.  "  My  dear,  please 
give  Mr.  Bagley  ten  pounds  of  flour  and  a  piece  of 
pork.  After  you've  had  your  dinner,  Mr.  Bagley,  I 
shall  expect  you,  as  we've  agreed.  And  if  you'll 
chain  up  that  dog  of  yours,  or,  better  still,  knock  it 
on  the  head  with  an  axe,  Mrs.  Durham  will  go  down 
and  see  your  wife  about  fixing  up  your  children." 

Winifred  gave  me  a  pleased,  intelligent  look,  and 
said,  "  Come  in,  Mr.  Bagley ; "  while  Merton  and  I 
hastened  away  to  catch  up  with  neglected  work. 

"Your  husband's  been  good  to  me,"  said  the  man, 
abruptly. 

"That's  because  he  believes  you  are  going  to  be 


GIVEN  A    CHANCE.  2Og 

good  to  yourself  and  your  family,"  was  her  smiling 
reply. 

"  Will  you  come  and  see  my  wife  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Certainly,  if  I  don't  have  to  face  your  dog,"  re 
plied  Winifred. 

"I'll  kill  the  critter  soon's  I  go  home,"  muttered 
Bagley. 

"  It  hardly  pays  to  keep  a  big,  useless  dog,"  was 
my  wife's  practical  comment. 

In  going  to  the  cellar  for  the  meat,  she  left  him 
alone  for  a  moment  or  two  with  Mousie ;  and  he, 
under  his  new  impulses,  said,  "  Little  gal,  ef  my  chil 
dren  hurt  your  flowers  ag'in,  let  me  know,  and  I'll 
thrash  'em ! " 

The  child  stole  to  his  side  and  gave  him  her  hand, 
as  she  replied,  "Try  being  kind  to  them." 

Bagley  went  home  with  some  new  ideas  under  his 
tattered  old  hat.  At  half -past  twelve  he  was  on  hand, 
ready  for  work. 

"  That  dog  that  tried  to  bite  ye  is  dead  and  bur 
ied,"  he  said,  "and  I  hope  I  buried  some  of  my  dog 
natur'  with  'im." 

"You've  shown  your  good  sense.  But  I  haven't 
time  to  talk  now.  The  old  man  has  mown  a  good 
deal  of  grass.  I  want  you  to  shake  it  out,  and,  as 
soon  as  he  says  it's  dry  enough,  to  rake  it  up.  Toward 
night  I'll  be  out  with  the  wagon,  and  we'll  stow  all 
that's  fit  into  the  barn.  To-morro\v,  I  want  your  two 
eldest  children  to  come  and  pick  berries." 

"I'm  in  fer  it,  Mr.  Durham.  You've  given  me 
your  hand,  and  I'll  show  yer  how  that  goes  furder 
with  me  than  all  the  blood-and-thunder  talk  in  Maize- 
viile,"  said  Baglev,  with  some  feelins:. 


2IO  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

"Then  you'll  show  that  you  can  be  a  man  like 
the  rest  of  us,"  I  said,  as  I  hastened  to  our  early 
dinner. 

My  wife  beamed  and  nodded  at  me.  "  I'm  not 
going  to  say  anything  to  set  you  up  too  much,"  she 
said.  "  You  are  great  on  problems,  and  you  are  solv 
ing  one  even  better  than  I  hoped." 

"It  isn't  solved  yet,"  I  replied.  "We  have  only 
started  Bagley  and  his  people  on  the  right  road.  It 
will  require  much  patience  and  good  management  ta 
keep  them  there.  I  rather  think  you'll  have  the 
hardest  part  of  the  problem  yet  on  your  hands.  I 
have  little  time  for  problems  now,  however,  except 
that  of  making  the  most  of  this  season  of  rapid  growth 
and  harvest.  I  declare  I'm  almost  bewildered  when 
I  see  how  much  there  is  to  be  done  on  every  side. 
Children,  we  all  must  act  like  soldiers  in  the  middle 
of  a  fight.  Every  stroke  must  tell.  Now,  we'll  hold 
a  council  of  war,  so  as  to  make  the  most  of  the  after 
noon's  work.  Merton,  how  are  the  raspberries  ? " 

"  There  are  more  ripe,  papa,  than  I  thought  there 
would  be." 

"Then,  Winnie,  you  and  Bobsey  must  leave  the 
weeding  in  the  garden  and  help  Merton  pick  berries 
this  afternoon." 

"  As  soon  as  it  gets  cooler,"  said  my  wife,  "  Mousie 
and  I  are  going  to  pick,  also." 

"Very  well,"  I  agreed.  "You  can  give  us  rasp 
berries  and  milk  to-night,  and  so  you  will  be  getting 
supper  at  the  same  time.  Until  the  hay  is  ready  to 
come  in,  I  shall  keep  on  hoeing  in  the  garden,  the 
weeds  grow  so  rapidly.  To-morrow  will  be  a  regular 


GIVEN  A    CHANCE.  21  T 

fruit  day  all  around,  for  there  are  two  more  cherry- 
trees  that  need  picking." 

Our  short  nooning  over,  we  all  went  to  our  several 
tasks.  The  children  were  made  to  feel  that  now  was 
the  chance  to  win  our  bread  for  months  to  come,  and 
that  there  must  be  no  shirking.  Mousie  promised  to 
clear  away  the  things  while  my  wife,  protected  by  a 
large  sun-shade,  walked  slowly  down  to  the  Bagley 
cottage.  Having  seen  that  Merton  and  his  little 
squad  were  filling  the  baskets  with  raspberries  prop 
erly,  I  went  to  the  garden  and  slaughtered  the  weeds 
where  they  threatened  to  do  the  most  harm. 

At  last  I  became  so  hot  and  wearied  that  I  thought 
I  would  visit  a  distant  part  of  the  upland  meadow, 
and  see  how  Bagley  was  progressing.  He  was  rak 
ing  manfully,  and  had  accomplished  a  fair  amount  of 
work,  but  it  was  evident  that  he  was  almost  ex 
hausted.  He  was  not  accustomed  to  hard  work, 
and  had  rendered  himself  still  more  unfit  for  it  by 
dissipation. 

"See  here,  Bagley,"  I  said,  "you  are  doing  well, 
but  you  will  have  to  break  yourself  into  harness  grad 
ually.  I  don't  wish  to  be  hard  upon  you.  Lie  down 
under  this  tree  for  half  an  hour,  and  by  that  time  I 
shall  be  out  with  the  wagon." 

"  Mr.  Durham,  you  have  the  feelin's  of  a  man  for 
a  feller,"  said  Bagley,  gratefully.  "  I'll  make  up  the 
time  arter  it  gets  cooler." 

Returning  to  the  raspberry  patch,  I  found  Bobsey 
almost  asleep,  the  berries  often  falling  from  his  nerve 
less  hands.  Merton,  meanwhile,  with  something  of 
the  spirit  of  a  martinet,  was  spurring  him  to  his  task. 


212  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

I  remembered  that  the  little  fellow  had  been  busy 
since  breakfast,  and  decided  that  he  also,  of  my 
forces,  should  have  a  rest.  He  started  up  when  he 
saw  me  coming  through  the  bushes,  and  tried  to  pick 
with  vigor  again.  As  I  took  him  up  in  my  arms,  he 
began,  apprehensively,  "Papa,  I  will  pick  faster,  but 
I'm  so  tired  !  " 

I  re-assured  him  with  a  kiss  which  left  a  decided 
raspberry  flavor  on  my  lips,  carried  him  into  the  barn, 
and,  tossing  him  on  a  heap  of  hay,  said,  "  Sleep  there, 
my  little  man,  till  you  are  rested." 

He  was  soon  snoring  blissfully,  and  when  I  reached 
the  meadow  with  the  wagon,  Bagley  was  ready  to 
help  with  the  loading. 

"Well,  well!"  he  exclaimed,  "a  little  breathin'- 
spell  does  do  a  feller  good  on  a  hot  day." 

"  No  doubt  about  it,"  I  said.  "  So  long  as  you  are 
on  the  right  road,  it  does  no  harm  to  sit  down  a  bit, 
because  when  you  start  again  it's  in  the  right  direc 
tion." 

After  we  had  piled  on  as  much  of  a  load  as  the 
rude,  extemporized  rack  on  my  market  wagon  could 
hold,  I  added,  "You  needn't  go  to  the  barn  with 
me,  for  I  can  pitch  the  hay  into  the  mow.  Rake  up 
another  load,  if  you  feel  able." 

"  Oh,  I'm  all  right  now,"  he  protested. 

By  the  time  I  had  unloaded  the  hay,  I  found  that 
my  wife  and  Mousie  were  among  the  raspberries,  and 
that  the  number  of  full,  fragrant  little  baskets  was 
increasing  rapidly. 

"  Winifred,  isn't  this  work,  with  your  walk  to  the 
Bagley  cottage,  too  much  for  you  ? " 


GIVEN  A    CHANCE.  21 3 

"Oh,  no,"  she  replied,  lightly.  "An  afternoon 
in  idleness  in  a  stifling  city  flat  would  have  been 
more  exhausting.  It's  growing  cool  now.  What 
wretched,  shiftless  people  those  Bagleys  are !  But 
I  have  hopes  of  them.  I'm  glad  Bobsey's  having  a 
nap." 

"You  shall  tell  me  about  your  visit  to-night.  We 
are  making  good  progress.  Bagley  is  doing  his  best. 
Winnie,"  I  called,  "come  here." 

She  brought  her  basket,  nearly  filled,  and  I  saw 
that  her  eyes  were  heavy  with  weariness  also. 

"You've  done  well  to-day,  my  child.  Now  go 
and  look  after  your  chickens,  big  and  little.  Then 
your  day's  work  is  done,  and  you  can  do  what  you 
please ; "  and  I  started  for  the  meadow  again. 

By  six  o'clock,  we  had  in  the  barn  three  loads  of 
hay,  and  Merton  had  packed  four  crates  of  berries 
ready  for  market.  Bobsey  was  now  running  about, 
as  lively  as  a  cricket,  and  Winnie,  with  a  child's  elas 
ticity,  was  nearly  as  sportive.  Bagley,  after  making 
up  his  half-hour,  came  up  the  lane  with  a  rake,  in 
stead  of  his  ugly  dog  as  on  the  evening  before.  A 
few  moments  later,  he  helped  me  lift  the  crates  into 
the  market  wagon  ;  and  then,  after  a  little  awkward 
hesitation,  began :  — 

"  I  say,  Mr.  Durham,  can't  ye  give  a  feller  a  job 
yerself  ?  I  declar'  to  you,  I  want  to  brace  up  ;  but  I 
know  how  it'll  be  down  at  Rollins's.  He'll  be  sav 
age  as  a  meat-axe  to  me,  and  his  men  will  be  a-gibin'. 
Give  me  a  job  yerself,  and  I'll  save  enough  out  o'  my 
wages  to  pay  for  his  chickens,  or  you  kin  keep  'nutf 
back  to  pay  for  'em." 


214  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN-. 

I  thought  a  moment,  and  then  said,  promptly :  "  I'll 
agree  to  this  if  Rollins  will.  I'll  see  him  to-night." 

"  Did  yer  wife  go  to  see  my  wife  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  she  says  she  has  hopes  of  you  all. 
You've  earned  your  bread  to-day  as  honestly  as  I 
have,  and  you've  more  than  paid  for  what  my  wife 
gave  you  this  morning.  Here's  a  quarter  to  make 
the  day  square,  and  here's  a  couple  of  baskets  of 
raspberries  left  over.  Take  them  to  the  children." 

"Well,  yer  bring  me  right  to  the  mark,"  he  said, 
emphasizing  his  words  with  a  slap  on  his  thigh.  "  I've 
got  an  uphill  row  to  hoe,  and  it's  good  ter  have  some 
human  critters  around  that'll  help  a  feller  a  bit." 

I  laughed  as  I  clapped  him  on  the  shoulder,  and 
said :  "  You're  going  to  win  the  fight,  Bagley.  I'll 
see  Rollins  at  once,  for  I  find  I  shall  need  another 
man  awhile." 

"Give  me  the  job,  then,"  he  said,  eagerly,  "and 
give  me  what  you  think  I'm  wuth ; ''  and  he  jogged 
off  home  with  that  leaven  of  all  good  in  his  heart, — 
the  hope  of  better  things. 


•WE  SHALL  ALL  EARN  OUR  SALT?          21$ 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

"WE    SHALL   ALL    EARN    OUR   SALT." 

ASPBERRIES  and  milk,  with  bread  and  butter 
-LY  and  a  cup  of  tea,  made  a  supper  that  we  all 
relished,  and  then  Merton  and  I  started  for  the  boat- 
landing.  I  let  the  boy  drive  and  deliver  the  crates 
to  the  freight  agent,  for  I  wished  him  to  relieve  me 
of  this  task  occasionally.  On  our  way  to  the  landing 
I  saw  Rollins,  who  readily  agreed  to  Bagley's  wish, 
on  condition  that  I  guaranteed  payment  for  the  chick* 
ens.  Stopping  at  the  man's  cottage  farther  on,  I  told 
him  this,  and  he,  in  his  emphatic  way,  declared,  "  I 
vow  ter  you,  Mr.  Durham,  ye  sha'n't  lose  a  feather's 
worth  o'  the  chickens." 

Returning  home,  poor  Merton  was  so  tired  and 
drowsy  that  he  nearly  fell  off  the  seat.  Before  long 
I  took  the  reins  from  his  hands,  and  he  was  asleep 
with  his  head  on  my  shoulder.  Winifred  was  dozing 
in  her  chair,  but  brightened  up  as  we  came  in.  A 
little  judicious  praise  and  a  bowl  of  bread  and  milk 
strengthened  the  boy  wonderfully.  He  saw  the  need 
of  especial  effort  at  this  time,  and  also  saw  that  he 
was  not  being  driven  unfeelingly. 

As  I  sat  alone  with  my  wife,  resting  a  few  minutes 
before  retiring,  I  said :  "  Well,  Winifred,  it  must  be 


2l6  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

plain  to  you  by  this  time  that  the  summer  cam« 
paign  will  be  a  hard  one.  How  are  we  going  to 
stand  it  ? " 

"  I'll  tell  you  next  fall,"  she  replied,  with  a  laugh. 
"No  problems  to-night,  thank  you." 

"  I'm  gathering  a  queer  lot  of  helpers  in  my  effort 
to  live  in  the  country,"  I  continued.  "  There's  old 
Mr.  Jacox,  who  is  too  aged  to  hold  his  own  in  other 
harvest-fields.  Bagley  and  his  tribe  —  " 

"  And  a  city  wife  and  a  lot  of  city  children,"  she 
added. 

"  And  a  city  green-horn  of  a  man  at  the  head  of 
you  all,"  I  concluded. 

"  Well,"  she  replied,  rising  with  an  odd  little  blend 
ing  of  laugh  and  yawn,  "  I  'm  not  afraid  but  that  we 
shall  all  earn  our  salt." 

Thus  came  to  an  end  the  long,  eventful  day,  which 
prepared  the  way  for  many  others  of  similar  charac 
ter,  and  suggested  many  of  the  conditions  of  our 
problem  of  country  living. 

Bagley  appeared  bright  and  early  the  following 
morning  with  his  two  elder  children,  and  I  was  now 
confronted  with  the  task  of  managing  them  and  mak 
ing  them  useful.  Upon  one  thing  I  was  certainly 
resolved,  —  there  should  be  no  quixotic  sentiment  in 
our  relations,  and  no  companionship  between  his 
children  and  mine. 

Therefore,  I  took  him  and  his  girl  and  boy  aside, 
and  said :  "  I'm  going  to  be  simple  and  outspoken 
with  you.  Some  of  my  neighbors  think  I'm  a  fool 
because  I  give  you  work  when  I  can  get  others.  I 
shall  prove  that  I  am  not  a  fool,  for  the  reason  that 


"WE  SHALL  ALL   EARN  OUR  SALT." 

I  shall  not  permit  any  nonsense,  and  you  can  show 
that  I  am  not  a  fool  by  doing  your  work  well  and 
quietly.  Bagley,  I  want  you  to  understand  that  your 
children  do  not  come  here  to  play  with  mine.  No 
matter  whom  I  employed,  I  should  keep  my  children 
by  themselves.  Now,  do  you  understand  this  ? " 

They  nodded  affirmatively. 

"  Are  you  all  willing  to  take  simple,  straightforward 
directions,  and  do  your  best  ?  I'm  not  asking  what 
is  unreasonable,  for  I  shall  not  be  more  strict  with 
you  than  with  my  own  children." 

"  No  use  o'  beatin'  around  the  bush,  Mr.  Durham," 
said  Bagley,  good-naturedly ;  "  we've  come  here  to 
'arn  our  livin',  and  to  do  as  you  say." 

"  I  can  get  along  with  you,  Bagley,  but  your  chil 
dren  will  find  it  hard  to  follow  my  rules,  because  they 
are  children,  and  are  not  used  to  restraint.  Yet 
they  must  do  it,  or  there'll  be  trouble  at  once. 
They  must  work  quietly  and  steadily  while  they  do 
work,  and  when  I  am  through  with  them,  they  must 
go  straight  home.  They  mustn't  lounge  about  the 
place.  If  they  will  obey,  Mrs.  Durham  and  I  will 
be  good  friends  to  them,  and  by  fall  we  will  fix  them 
up  so  that  they  can  go  to  school." 

The  little  arabs  looked  askance  at  me  and  made 
me  think  of  two  wild  animals  that  had  been  caught, 
and  were  intelligent  enough  to  understand  that  they 
must  be  tamed.  They  were  submissive,  but  made  no 
false  pretences  of  enjoying  the  prospect. 

"  I  shall  keep  a  gad  handy,"  said  their  father,  with 
a  significant  nod  at  them. 

"Well,  youngsters,"  I  concluded,  laughing,  "per- 


2l8  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

haps  you'll  need  it  occasionally.  I  hope  not,  how. 
ever.  I  shall  keep  no  gad,  but  I  shall  have  an  eye 
on  you  when  you  least  expect  it ;  and  if  you  go 
through  the  picking-season  well,  I  shall  have  a  nice 
present  for  you  both.  Now,  you  are  to  receive  so 
much  a  basket,  if  the  baskets  are  properly  filled,  and 
therefore  it  will  depend  on  yourselves  how  much  you 
earn.  You  shall  be  paid  every  day.  So  now  for  a 
good  start  toward  becoming  a  man  and  a  woman." 

I  led  them  to  one  side  of  the  raspberry  patch  and 
put  them  under  Merton's  charge,  saying,  "  You  must 
pick  exactly  as  he  directs." 

Winnie  and  Bobsey  were  to  pick  in  another  part 
of  the  field,  Mousie  aiding  until  the  sun  grew  too 
warm  for  the  delicate  child.  Bagley  was  to  divide 
his  time  between  hoeing  in  the  garden  and  spreading 
the  grass  after  the  scythe  of  old  Mr.  Jacox.  From 
my  ladder  against  a  cherry-tree,  I  was  able  to  keep  a 
general  outlook  over  my  motley  forces,  and  we  all 
made  good  progress  till  dinner,  which,  like  the  help 
we  employed,  we  now  had  at  twelve  o'clock.  Bagley 
and  his  children  sat  down  to  their  lunch  under  the 
shade  of  an  apple-tree  at  some  distance,  yet  in  plain 
view  through  our  open  door.  Their  repast  must 
have  been  meagre,  judging  from  the  time  in  which 
it  was  despatched,  and  my  wife  said,  "  Can't  I  send 
them  something  ? " 

"  Certainly  ;  what  have  you  to  send  ? " 

"Well,  I've  made  a  cherry  pudding;  I  don't  sup 
pose  there  is  much  more  than  enough  for  us,  though." 

"Children,"  I  cried,  "let's  take  a  vote.  Shall  we 
share  our  cherry  pudding  with  the  Bagleys  ? " 


"WE   SHALL   ALL   EARN  OUR   SAL 7'"  2X9 

"Yes,"  came  the  unanimous  reply,  although  Bob- 
sey's  voice  was  rather  faint. 

Merton  carried  the  delicacy  to  the  group  under 
the  tree,  and  it  was  gratefully  and  speedily  devoured. 

"That  is  the  way  to  the  hearts  of  those  children," 
said  my  wife,  at  the  same  time  slyly  slipping  her 
portion  of  the  pudding  upon  Bobsey's  plate. 

I  appeared  very  blind,  but  asked  her  to  get  me 
something  from  the  kitchen.  While  she  was  gone,. 
I  exchanged  my  plate  of  pudding,  untouched  as  yet,, 
for  hers,  and  gave  the  children  a  wink.  We  all  had 
a  great  laugh  over  mamma's  well-assumed  surprise 
and  perplexity.  How  a  little  fun  will  freshen  up 
children,  especially  when,  from  necessity,  their  tasks 
are  long  and  heavy ! 

We  were  startled  from  the  table  by  a  low  mutter 
of  thunder.  Hastening  out,  I  saw  an  ominous  cloud 
in  the  west.  My  first  thought  was  that  all  should 
go  to  the  raspberries  and  pick  till  the  rain  drove  us 
in ;  but  Bagley  now  proved  a  useful  friend,  for  he 
shambled  up  and  said :  "  If  I  was  you,  I'd  have  those 
cherries  picked  fust.  You'll  find  that  a  thunder- 
shower'll  rot  'em  in  one  night.  The  wet  won't  hurt 
the  berries  much." 

His  words  reminded  me  of  what  I  had  seen  when 
a  boy,  —  a  tree  full  of  split,  half-decayed  cherries, — 
and  I  told  him  to  go  to  picking  at  once.  I  also  sent 
his  eldest  boy  and  Merton  into  the  trees.  Old  Jacox 
was  told  to  get  the  grass  he  had  cut  into  as  good 
shape  as  possible  before  the  shower.  My  wife  and 
Mousie  left  the  table  standing,  and,  hastening  to  the 
raspberry  field,  helped  Winnie  and  Bobsey  and  the 


22O  DRIl'E.V  BACK   TO   ED  EX. 

other  Bagley  child  to  pick  the  ripest  berries. 

all  worked  like  beavers  till  the  vivid  flashes  and  great 

drops  drove  us  to  shelter. 

Fortunately,  the  shower  came  up  slowly,  and  we 
nearly  stripped  the  cherry-trees,  carrying  the  fruit 
into  the  house,  there  to  be  arranged  for  market  in 
the  neat  peck-baskets  with  coarse  bagging  covers 
which  Mr.  Bogart  had  sent  me.  The  little  baskets 
of  raspberries  almost  covered  the  barn  floor  by  the 
time  the  rain  began,  but  they  were  safe.  At  first, 
the  children  were  almost  terrified  by  the  vivid 
lightning,  but  this  phase  of  the  storm  soon  passed, 
and  the  clouds  seemed  to  settle  down  for  a  steady 
rain. 

"  Tisn't  goin'  -to  let  up,"  said  Bagley,  after  a  while. 
"  We  might  as  well  jog  home  now  as  any  time." 

"But  you'll  get  wet,"  I  objected. 

"  It  won't  be  the  fust  time,"  answered  Bagley. 
"The  children  don't  mind  it  any  more'n  ducks." 

"Well,  let's  settle,  then,"  I  said.  "You  need 
some  money  to  buy  food  at  once." 

"I  reckon  I  do,"  was  the  earnest  reply. 

"  There's  a  dollar  for  your  day's  work,  and  here  is 
what  your  children  have  earned.  Are  you  satis 
fied?"  Tasked. 

"  I  be,  and  I  thank  you,  sir.  I'll  go  down  to  the 
store  this  evenin',"  he  added. 

"And  buy  food  only,"  I  said,  with  a  meaning 
look. 

"Flour  and  pork  only,  sir.  I've  given  you  my 
hand  on't;"  and  away  they  all  jogged  through  the 
thick-falling  drops. 


"WE  SHALL   ALL  EARN  OUR  SALT."          221 

We  packed  our  fruit  for  market,  and  looked  vainly 
'or  clearing  skies  in  the  west. 

"There's  no  help  for  it,"  I  said.  "The  sooner  I 
Itart  for  the  landing  the  better,  so  that  I  can  return 
before  it  becomes  very  dark." 

My  wife  exclaimed  against  this,  but  I  added : 
"  Think  a  moment,  my  dear.  By  good  manage 
ment  we  have  here,  safe. and  in  good  order,  thirty 
dollars'  worth  of  fruit,  at  least.  Shall  I  lose  it  be 
cause  I  am  afraid  of  a  summer  shower  ?  Facing  the 
weather  is  a  part  of  my  business ;  and  I'd  face  a 
storm  any  day  in  the  year  if  I  could  make  thirty 
dollars." 

Merton  wished  to  go  also,  but  I  said,  "  No ;  there 
must  be  no  risks  of  illness  that  can  possibly  be 
avoided." 

I  did  not  find  it  a  dreary  expedition,  after  all,  for 
I  solaced  myself  with  thoughts  like  these,  "Thirty 
dollars,  under  my  wife's  good  management,  will  go 
far  toward  providing  warm  winter  clothing,  or  paying 
the  interest,  or  something  else." 

Then  the  rain  was  just  what  was  needed  to  increase 
and  prolong  the  yield  of  the  raspberry  bushes,  on 
which  there  were  still  myriads  of  immature  berries 
and  even  blossoms.  Abundant  moisture  would  per 
fect  these  into  plump  fruit ;  and  upon  this  crop  rested 
our  main  hope. 


222  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

A    THUNDERBOLT. 

FROM  the  experiences  just  related,  it  can  be  seen 
how  largely  the  stress  and  strain  of  the  year 
centred  in  the  month  of  July.  Nearly  all  our  gar 
den  crops  needed  attention  ;  the  grass  of  the  meadow 
had  to  be  cured  into  hay,  the  currants  and  cherries 
to  be  picked,  and  fall  crops,  like  winter  cabbages,  tur 
nips,  and  celery,  to  be  put  in  the  ground.  Of  the 
latter  vegetable,  I  set  out  only  a  few  short  rows,  re 
garding  it  as  a  delicious  luxury  to  which  not  very 
much  time  could  be  given. 

Mr.  Jones  and  Junior,  indeed  all  our  neighbors, 
were  working  early  and  late,  like  ourselves.  Barns 
were  being  filled,  conical  hay-stacks  were  rising  in 
distant  meadows,  and  every  one  was  busy  in  gather 
ing  nature's  bounty. 

We  were  not  able  to  make  much  of  the  Fourth  of 
July.  Bobsey  and  Winnie  had  some  fire-crackers, 
and,  in  the  evening,  Merton  and  Junior  set  off  a  few 
rockets,  and  we  all  said,  "Ah!"  appreciatively,  as 
they  sped  their  brief  fiery  course;  but  the  greater 
part  of  the  day  had  to  be  spent  in  gathering  the 
ripening  black-caps  and  raspberries.  By  some  man- 


A    THUNDERBOLT.  22$ 

agement,  however,  I  arranged  that  Merton  and  Junior 
should  have  a  fine  swim  in  the  creek,  by  Brittle  Rock, 
while  Mousie,  Winnie,  and  Bobsey  waded  in  sandy 
shallows,  farther  down  the  stream.  They  all  were 
promised  holidays  after  the  fruit  season  was  over, 
and  they  submitted  to  the  necessity  of  almost  con 
stant  work  with  fairly  good  grace. 

The  results  of  our  labor  were  cheering.  Our  table 
was  supplied  with  delicious  vegetables,  which,  in  the 
main,  it  was  Mousie's  task  to  gather  and  prepare. 
The  children  were  as  brown  as  little  Indians,  and  we 
daily  thanked  God  for  health.  Checks  from  Mr.  Bo- 
gart  came  regularly,  the  fruit  bringing  a  fair  price 
under  his  good  management.  The  outlook  for  the 
future  grew  brighter  with  the  beginning  of  each 
week ;  for  on  Monday  he  made  his  returns  and  sent 
me  the  proceeds  of  the  fruit  shipped  previously.  I 
was  able  to  pay  all  outstanding  accounts  for  what  had 
been  bought  to  stock  the  place,  and  I  also  induced 
Mr.  Jones  to  receive  the  interest  in  advance  on  the 
mortgage  he  held.  Then  we  began  to  hoard  for 
winter. 

The  Bagleys  did  as  well  as  we  could  expect,  I  sup 
pose.  The  children  did  need  the  "gad  "  occasionally, 
and  the  father  indulged  in  a  few  idle,  surly,  drinking 
days ;  but,  convinced  that  the  man  was  honestly  try 
ing,  I  found  that  a  little  tact  and  kindness  always 
brought  him  around  to  renewed  endeavor.  To  ex 
pect  immediate  reform  and  unvaried  well-doing  would 
be  asking  too  much  of  such  human  nature  as  theirs. 

As  July  drew  to  a  close,  my  wife  and  I  felt  that 
we  were  succeeding  better  than  we  had  had  reason 


224  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

to  expect.  In  the  height  of  the  season  we  had  to 
employ  more  children  in  gathering  the  raspberries, 
and  I  saw  that  I  could  increase  the  yield  in  coming 
years,  as  I  learned  the  secrets  of  cultivation.  I  also 
decided  to  increase  the  area  of  this  fruit  by  a  fall- 
planting  of  some  varieties  that  ripened  earlier  and 
later,  thus  extending  the  season  and  giving  me  a 
chance  to  ship  to  market  for  weeks  instead  of  days. 
My  strawb'erry  plants  were  sending  out  a  fine  lot  of 
new  runners,  and  our  hopes  for  the  future  were  turn 
ing  largely  toward  the  cultivation  of  this  delicious 
fruit. 

Old  Jacox  had  plodded  faithfully  over  the  meadow 
with  his  scythe,  and  the  barn  was  now  so  well  filled 
that  I  felt  our  bay  horse  and  brindle  cow  were  pro 
vided  for  during  the  months  when  fields  are  bare  or 
snowy. 

Late  one  afternoon,  he  was  helping  me  gather  up 
almost  the  last  load  down  by  the  creek,  when  the 
heavy  roll  of  thunder  warned  us  to  hasten.  As  we 
came  up  to  the  high  ground  near  the  house,  we  were 
both  impressed  by  the  ominous  blackness  of  a  cloud 
rising  in  the  west.  I  felt  that  the  only  thing  to  do 
was  to  act  like  the  captain  of  a  vessel  before  a  storm, 
and  make  everything  "  snug  and  tight."  The  load 
of  hay  was  run  in  upon  the  barn  floor,  and  the  old 
horse  led  with  the  harness  on  him  to  the  stall  below. 
Bagley  and  the  children,  with  old  Jacox,  were  started 
off  so  as  to  be  at  home  before  the  shower,  doors  and 
windows  were  fastened,  and  all  was  made  as  secure 
as  possible. 

Then   we    gathered    in    our   sitting-room,    where 


A    THUNDERBOLT. 


22$ 


Mousie  and  my  wife  had  prepared  supper ;  but  we  all 
were  too  oppressed  with  awe  of  the  coming  tempest 
to  sit  down  quietly,  as  usual.  There  was  a  death-like 
stillness  in  the  sultry  air,  broken  only  at  intervals 
by  the  heavy  rumble  of  thunder.  The  strange,  dim 
twilight  soon  passed  into  the  murkiest  gloom,  and  we 
had  to  light  the  lamp  far  earlier  than  our  usual  hour. 
I  had  never  seen  the  children  so  affected  before. 
Winnie  and  Bobsey  even  began  to  cry  with  fear, 


while  Mousie  was  pale  and  trembling.  Of  course,  we 
laughed  at  them  and  tried  to  cheer  them ;  but  even 
my  wife  was  nervously  apprehensive,  and  I  admit 
that  I  felt  a  disquietude  hard  to  combat. 

Slowly  and  remorselessly  the  cloud  approached, 
until  it  began  to  pass  over  us.  The  thunder  and 
lightning  were  simply  terrific.  Supper  remained  un- 
tasted  on  the  table,  and  I  said  :  "  Patience  and  cour 
age  !  A  few  moments  more  and  the  worst  will  be 
over ! " 


226  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN'. 

But  my  words  were  scarcely  heard,  so  violent  was 
the  gust  that  burst  upon  us.  For  a  few  moments  it 
seemed  as  if  everything  would  go  down  before  it,  but 
the  old  house  only  shook  and  rocked  a  little. 

"Hurrah!"  I  cried.  "The  bulk  of  the  gust  has 
gone  by,  and  now  we  are  all  right ! " 

At  that  instant  a  blinding  gleam  and  an  instantane 
ous  crash  left  us  stunned  and  bewildered.  But  as  I 
recovered  my  senses,  I  saw  flames  bursting  from  the 
roof  of  our  barn. 


RALLYING  FROM   THE  BLOW.  22? 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

RALLYING    FROM    THE   BLOW. 

OUR  house  was  far  enough  from  the  barn  to  pre 
vent  the  shock  of  the  thunderbolt  from  dis 
abling  us  beyond  a  moment  or  two.  Merton  had 
fallen  off  his  chair,  but  was  on  his  feet  almost  in 
stantly  ;  the  other  children  were  soon  sobbing  and 
clinging  to  my  wife  and  myself. 

In  tones  that  I  sought  to  render  firm  and  quiet,  I 
said :  "  No  more  of  this  foolish  fear.  We  are  in 
God's  hands,  and  He  will  take  care  of  us.  Winifred, 
you  must  rally  and  soothe  the  children,  while  Merton 
and  I  go  out  and  save  what  we  can.  All  danger  tc 
the  house  is  now  over,  for  the  worst  of  the  storm 
has  passed." 

In  a  moment  my  wife,  although  very  pale,  was  re 
assuring  the  younger  children,  and  Merton  and  I 
rushed  forth. 

"  Lead  the  horse  out  of  the  barn  basement,  Mer 
ton,"  I  cried,  "and  tie  him  securely  behind  the 
house.  If  he  won't  go  readily,  throw  a  blanket  over 
his  eyes." 

I  spoke  these  words  as  we  ran  through  the  tor- 
rents  of  rain  precipitated  by  the  tremendous  concus 
sion  which  the  lightning  had  produced 


228  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

I  opened  the  barn  doors  and  saw  that  the  hay  was 
on  fire.  There  was  not  a  second  to  lose,  and  excite 
ment  doubled  my  strength.  The  load  of  hay  on  the 
wagon  had  not  yet  caught.  Although  nearly  stifled 
with  sulphurous  smoke,  I  seized  the  shafts  and  backed 
the  wagon  with  its  burden  out  into  the  rain.  Then, 
seizing  a  fork,  I  pushed  and  tossed  off  the  load  so 
that  I  could  draw  our  useful  market  vehicle  to  a  safe 
distance.  There  were  a  number  of  crates  and  bas 
kets  in  the  barn,  also  some  tools,  etc.  These  I  had 
to  let  go.  Hastening  to  the  basement,  I  found  that 
Merton  had  succeeded  in  getting  the  horse  away. 
There  was  still  time  to  smash  the  window  of  the 
poultry-room  and  toss  the  chickens  out  of  doors. 
Our  cow,  fortunately,  was  in  the  meadow. 

By  this  time  Mr.  Jones  and  Junior  were  on  the 
ground,  and  they  were  soon  followed  by  Rollins, 
Bagley,  and  others.  There  was  nothing  to  do  now, 
however,  but  to  stand  aloof  and  witness  the  swift 
destruction.  After  the  first  great  gust  had  passed, 
there  was  fortunately  but  little  wind,  and  the  heavy 
down-pour  prevented  the  flames  from  spreading.  In 
this  we  stood,  scarcely  heeding  it  in  the  excitement 
of  the  hour.  After  a  few  moments  I  hastened  to 
assure  my  trembling  wife  and  crying  children  that 
the  rain  made  the  house  perfectly  safe,  and  that  they 
were  in  no  danger  at  all.  Then  I  called  to  the  neigh 
bors  to  come  and  stand  under  the  porch-roof. 

From  this  point  we  could  see  the  great  pyramid  of 
fire  and  smoke  ascending  into  the  black  sky.  The 
rain-drops  glittered  like  fiery  hail  in  the  intense  light 
and  the  still  vivid  flashes  from  the  clouds. 


RALLYING  FROM   THE  BLOW. 

"This  is  hard  luck,  neighbor  Durham/'  said  Mr. 
Jones,  with  a  long  breath. 

"  My  wife  and  children  are  safe,"  I  replied,  quietly. 

Then  we  heard  the  horse  neighing  and  tugging  at 
his  halter.  Bagley  had  the  good  sense  and  will  to 
jerk  off  his  coat,  tie  it  arowid  the  animal's  eyes,  and 
lead  him  to  a  distance  from  the  fatal  fascination  of 
the  flames. 

In  a  very  brief  space  of  time  the  whole  structure, 
with  my  summer  crop  of  hay,  gathered  with  so  much 
labor,  sunk  down  into  glowing,  hissing  embers.  I 
was  glad  to  have  the  ordeal  over,  and  to  be  relieved 
from  fear  that  the  wind  would  rise  again.  Now  I  was 
assured  of  the  extent  of  our  loss,  as  well  as  of  its 
certainty. 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  warm-hearted  and  impulsive 
Rollins,  "when  you  are  ready  to  build  again,  your 
neighbors  will  give  you  a  lift.  By  converting  Bagley 
into  a  decent  fellow,  you've  made  all  our  barns  safer, 
and  we  owe  you  a  good  turn.  He  was  worse  than 
lightning." 

I  expressed  my  thanks,  adding,  "  This  isn't  as  bad 
as  you  think  ;  I'm  insured." 

"Well,  now,  that's  sensible,"  said  Mr.  Jones.  "I'll 
sleep  better  for  that  fact,  and  so  will  you,  Robert 
Durham.  You'll  make  a  go  of  it  here  yet." 

"  I'm  not  in  the  least  discouraged,"  I  answered ; 
"far  worse  things  might  have  happened.  I've  no 
ticed  in  my  paper  that  a  good  many  barns  have  been 
struck  this  summer,  so  my  experience  is  not  unusual. 
The  only  thing  to  do  is  to  meet  such  things  patiently 
and  make  the  best  of  them.  As  long  as  the  family 


230  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEtf. 

is  safe  and  well,  outside  matters  can  be  remedied. 
Thank  you,  Bagiey,"  I  continued,  addressing  him,  as 
he  now  led  forward  the  horse.  "  You  had  your  wits 
about  you.  Old  Bay  will  have  to  stand  under  the 
shed  to-night." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Durham,  the  harness  is  still  on  him,  all 
'cept  the  head-stall ;  and  he's  quiet  now." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "in  our  haste  we  didn't  throw 
off  the  harness  before  the  shower,  and  it  has  turned 
out  very  well." 

"Tell  ye  what  it  is,  neighbors,"  said  practical  Mr, 
Jones  ;  "  'tisn't  too  late  for  Mr.  Durham  to  sow  a  big 
lot  of  fodder  corn,  and  that's  about  as  good  as  hay. 
We'll  turn  to  and  help  him  get  some  in." 

This  was  agreed  to  heartily,  and  one  after  another 
they  wrung  my  hand  and  departed,  Bagiey  jogging 
in  a  companionable  way  down  the  road  with  Rollins, 
whose  chickens  he  had  stolen,  but  had  already  paid 
for. 

I  looked  after  them  and  thought :  "Thank  Heaven 
I  have  not  lost  my  barn  as  some  thought  I  might  at 
one  time !  As  Rollins  suggested,  I'd  rather  take 
my  chances  with  the  lightning  than  with  a  vicious 
neighbor.  Bagiey  acted  the  part  of  a  good  friend 
to-night." 

Then,  seeing  that  we  could  do  nothing  more,  Mer- 
ton  and  I  entered  the  house. 

I  clapped  the  boy  on  the  shoulder  as  I  said  :  "  You 
acted  like  a  man  in  the  emergency,  and  I'm  proud 
of  you.  The  bringing  out  a  young  fellow  strong  is 
almost  worth  the  cost  of  a  barn." 

My  wife  came  and  put  her  arm  around  my  neck 


RALLYING  FROM   THE  BLOW.  231 

and  said  :  "  You  bear  up  bravely,  Robert,  but  I  fear 
you  are  discouraged  at  heart.  To  think  of  such  a 
loss,  just  as  we  were  getting  started ! "  and  there 
were  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "it  will  be  a  heavy  loss  for  us, 
and  a  great  inconvenience,  but  it  might  have  been 
so  much  worse !  All  sit  down  and  I'll  tell  you  some 
thing.  You  see  my  training  in  business  led  me  to 
think  of  the  importance  of  insurance,  and  to  know 
the  best  companies.  As  soon  as  the  property  be 
came  yours,  Winifred,  I  insured  the  buildings  for 
nearly  all  they  were  worth.  The  hay  and  the  things 
in  the  barn  at  the  time  will  prove  a  total  loss ;  but  it 
is  a  loss  that  we  can  stand  and  make  good  largely 
before  winter.  I  tell  you  honestly  that  we  have  no 
reason  to  be  discouraged.  We  shall  soon  have  a 
better  barn  than  the  one  lost ;  for,  by  good  planning, 
a.  better  one  can  be  built  for  the  money  that  I  shall 
receive.  So  we  will  thank  God  that  we  are  all  safe 
ourselves,  and  go  quietly  to  sleep." 

With  the  passing  of  the  storm,  the  children  had 
become  quiet,  and  soon  we  lost  in  slumber  all 
thought  of  danger  and  loss. 

In  the  morning  the  absence  of  the  barn  made  a 
great  gap  in  our  familiar  outlook,  and  brought  many 
and  serious  thoughts ;  but  with  the  light  came  re 
newed  hopefulness.  All  the  scene  was  flooded  with 
glorious  sunlight,  and  only  the  blackened  ruins  made 
the  frightful  storm  of  the  previous  evening  seem 
possible.  Nearly  all  the  chickens  came  at  Winnie's 
call,  looking  draggled  and  forlorn  indeed,  but  practi 
cally  unharmed,  and  ready  to  resume  their  wonted 


232  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

cl  "^rf ulness  after  an  hour  in  the  sunshine.  We 
fitted  up  for  them  the  old  coop  in  the  orchard,  t^A  a 
part  of  the  ancient  and  dilapidated  barn  which  was 
to  have  been  used  for  corn-stalks  only.  The  drench 
ing  rain  had  saved  this  and  the  adjoining  shed  from 
destruction,  and  now  in  our  great  emergency  they 
proved  useful  indeed. 

The  trees  around  the  site  of  the  barn  were  black 
ened,  and  their  foliage  was  burnt  to  a  crisp.  With 
in  the  stone  foundations  the  smoke  from  the  still 
smouldering  debris  rose  sluggishly. 

I  turned  away  from  it  all,  saying :  "  Let  us  worry 
no  more  over  that  spilled  milk.  Fortunately  the 
greater  part  of  our  crates  and  baskets  were  under 
the  shed.  Take  the  children,  Merton,  and  pick  over 
the  raspberry  patches  carefully  once  more,  while  I 
go  to  work  in  the  garden.  That  has  been  helped 
rather  than  injured  by  the  storm,  and,  if  we  will  take 
care  of  it,  will  give  us  plenty  of  food  for  winter. 
Work  there  will  revive  my  spirits." 

The  ground  was  too  wet  for  the  use  of  the  hoe, 
but  there  was  plenty  of  weeding  to  be  done,  while  I 
answered  the  questions  of  neighbors  who  came  to 
offer  their  sympathy.  I  also  looked  around  to  see 
what  could  be  sold,  feeling  the  need  of  securing 
every  dollar  possible.  I  found  much  that  was  hope 
ful  and  promising.  The  Lima-bean  vines  had  covered 
the  poles,  and  toward  their  base  the  pods  were  filling 
out.  The  ears  on  our  early  corn  were  fit  to  pull ; 
the  beets  and  onions  had  attained  a  good  size ;  the 
early  peas  had  given  place  to  turnips,  winter  cab 
bages,  and  celery  ;  there  were  plenty  of  green  melons 


RALLYING  FROM   THE  BLOW.  233 

cn  the  vines,  and  more  cucumbers  than  we  could 
use.  The  remaining  pods  on  the  first  planting  of 
bush-beans  were  too  mature  for  use,  and  I  resolved 
to  let  them  stand  till  sufficiently  dry  to  be  gathered 
and  spread  in  the  attic.  All  that  we  had  planted 
had  done,  or  was  doing,  fairly  well,  for  the  season 
had  been  moist  enough  to  insure  a  good  growth. 
We  had  been  using  new  potatoes  since  the  first  of 
the  month,  and  now  the  vines  were  so  yellow  that 
all  in  the  garden  could  be  dug  at  once  and  sold. 
They  would  bring  in  some  ready  money,  and  I  learned 
from  my  garden  book  that  strap-leaved  turnips,  sown 
on  the  cleared  spaces,  would  have  time  to  mature. 

After  all,  my  strawberry  beds  gave  me  the  most 
hope.  There  were  hundreds  of  young  plants  already 
rooted,  and  still  more  lying  loosely  on  the  ground ; 
so  I  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  morning  in 
weeding  these  out  and  pressing  the  young  plants  on 
the  ends  of  the  runners  into  the  moist  soil,  having 
learned  that  with  such  treatment  they  form  roots 
and  become  established  in  a  very  few  days. 

After  dinner  Mr.  Jones  appeared  with  his  team 
and  heavy  plough,  and  we  selected  an  acre  of  upland 
meadow  where  the  sod  was  light  and  thin. 

"This  will  give  a  fair  growth  of  young  corn- 
leaves,"  he  said,  "by  the  middle  of  September.  By 
that  time  you'll  have  a  new  barn  up,  I  s'pose ;  and 
after  you  have  cut  and  dried  the  corn,  you  can  put  a 
little  of  it  into  the  mows  in  place  of  the  hay.  The 
greater  part  will  keep  better  if  stacked  outdoors.  A 
horse  will  thrive  on  such  fodder  almost  as  well  as  a 
cow,  'specially  if  ye  cut  it  up  and  mix  a  little  bran. 


234  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEM 

meal  with  it.  We'll  sow  the  corn  in  drills  a  foot 
apart,  and  you  can  spread  a  little  manure  over  the 
top  of  the  ground  after  the  seed  is  in.  This  ground 
is  a  trifle  thin  ;  a  top-dressin'  will  help  it  'mazin'ly." 

Merton  succeeded  in  getting  several  crates  of 
raspberries,  but  said  that  two  or  three  more  pickings 
would  finish  them.  Since  the  time  we  had  begun 
to  go  daily  to  the  landing,  we  had  sent  the  surplus 
of  our  vegetables  to  a  village  store,  with  the  under 
standing  that  we  would  trade  out  the  proceeds.  We 
thus  had  accumulated  a  little  balance  in  our  favor, 
which  we  could  draw  against  in  groceries,  etc. 

On  the  evening  of  this  day  I  took  the  crates  to 
the  landing,  and  found  a  purchaser  for  my  garden 
potatoes,  at  a  dollar  a  bushel.  I  also  made  arrange 
ments  at  a  summer  boarding-house,  whose  proprietor 
agreed  to  take  the  largest  of  our  spring  chickens,  our 
sweet  corn,  tomatoes,  and  some  other  vegetables,  as 
we  had  them  to  spare.  Now  that  our  income  from 
raspberries  was  about  to  cease,  it  was  essential  to 
make  the  most  of  everything  else  on  the  place  that 
would  bring  money,  even  if  we  had  to  deny  ourselves. 
It  would  not  do  for  us  to  say,  "We  can  use  this  or 
that  ourselves."  The  question  to  be  decided  was, 
whether,  if  such  a  thing  were  sold,  the  proceeds 
would  not  go  further  toward  our  support  than  the 
things  themselves.  If  this  should  be  true  of  sweet 
corn,  Lima-beans,  and  even  the  melons  on  which  the 
children  had  set  their  hearts,  we  must  be  chary  of 
consuming  them  ourselves.  This  I  explained  in 
such  a  way  that  all  except  Bobsey  saw  the  wisdom 
of  it,  or,  rather,  the  necessity.  As  yet,  Bobsey's 


RALLYING   FROM   THE   BLOW. 


tendencies  were  those  of  a  consumer,  and  not  of  a 
producer  or  saver. 

Rollins  and  one  or  two  others  came  the  next  day, 
and  with  Bagley's  help  the  corn  was  soon  in  the 
ground. 

Then  I  set  Bagley  to  work  with  the  cart  spreading 
upon  the  soil  the  barn-yard  compost  that  had  accu 
mulated  since  spring.  There  was  not  enough  to 
cover  all  the  ground,  but  that  I  could  not  help.  The 
large  pile  of  compost  that  I  had  made  near  the  poul 
try-house  door  could  not  be  spared  for  this  purpose, 
since  it  was  destined  for  my  August  planting  of 
strawberries. 

Perhaps  I  may  as  well  explain  about  these  compost 
heaps  now  as  at  any  other  time.  I  had  watched 
their  rapid  growth  with  great  satisfaction.  Some 
may  dislike  such  homely  details,  but  since  the  suc 
cess  of  the  farm  and  garden  depend  on  them  I  shall 
not  pass  them  over,  leaving  the  fastidious  reader  to 
do  this  for  himself. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  I  had  sought  to  pre 
pare  myself  for  country  life  by  much  reading  and 
study  during  the  previous  winter.  I  had  early  been 
impressed  with  the  importance  of  obtaining  and  sav 
ing  everything  that  would  enrich  the  soil,  and  had 
been  shown  that  increasing  the  manure-pile  was  the 
surest  way  to  add  to  one's  bank  account.  Therefore 
all  rakings  of  leaves  had  been  saved.  At  odd  times 
Merton  and  I  had  gone  down  to  the  creek  with  the 
cart  and  dug  a  quantity  of  rich  black  earth  from 
near  its  bank.  One  pile  of  this  material  had  been 
placed  near  the  stable  door,  and  another  at  the  en- 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

trance  to  the  poultry-room  in  the  basement  of  our 
vanished  barn.  The  cleanings  of  the  horse-stable 
had  been  spread  over  a  layer  of  this  black  soil. 
When  the  layer  of  such  cleanings  was  about  a  foot 
thick,  spread  Oenly,  another  layer  of  earth  covered 
all  from  sun  and  rain.  Thus  I  had  secured  a  pile  of 
compost  which  nearly  top-dressed  an  acre  for  fodder 
corn. 

In  the  poultry-room  we  managed  in  this  fashion. 
A  foot  of  raked-up  leaves  and  rich  earth  was  placed 
under  the  perches  of  the  fowls.  Every  two  or  three 
weeks  this  layer  was  shovelled  out  and  mixed  thor 
oughly,  and  was  replaced  by  a  new  layer.  As  a 
result  I  had,  by  the  ist  of  August,  a  large  heap  of 
fertilizer  almost  as  good  as  guano,  and  much  safer  to 
use,  for  I  had  read  that  unless  the  latter  was  care 
fully  managed  it  would  burn  vegetation  like  fire.  I 
believed  that  this  compost-heap  by  the  poultry-room 
window  would  give  my  young  strawberry  plantation 
a  fine  start,  and,  as  has  been  shown,  we  were  making 
great  calculations  on  the  future  fruit. 

I  also  resolved  that  the  burning  of  the  barn  should 
add  to  our  success  in  this  direction.  All  the  books 
said  that  there  was  nothing  better  for  strawberries 
than  wood  ashes,  and  of  these  there  was  a  great  heap 
within  the  foundations  of  the  destroyed  building. 
At  one  time  I  proposed  to  shovel  out  these  ashes 
and  mix  them  with  the  compost,  but  fortunately  I 
first  consulted  my  book  on  fertilizers,  and  read  there 
that  this  would  not  do  at  all,  —  that  they  should  b« 
used  separately. 


AUGUST   WORK  AND   PLAY. 


CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

AUGUST   WORK   AND    PLAY. 

I  WAS  now  eager  to  begin  the  setting  of  the 
strawberry  plants  in  the  field  where  we  had  put 
potatoes,  but  the  recent  heavy  shower  had  kept  the 
latter  still  green  and  growing.  During  the  first 
week  in  August,  however,  I  found  that  the  tubers 
had  attained  a  good  size,  and  I  began  to  dig  long 
rows  on  the  upper  side  of  the  patch,  selling  in  the 
village  three  or  four  barrels  of  potatoes  a  week  for 
immediate  use. 

By  this  course  I  soon  had  space  enough  cleared  for 
ten  rows  of  strawberries ;  and  on  the  6th  of  August 
Mr.  Jones  came  and  ploughed  the  land  deeply,  going 
twice  in  a  furrow.  Then  I  harrowed  the  ground, 
and,  with  a  corn-plough,  marked  out  the  space  with 
shallow  furrows  three  feet,  apart.  Through  five  of 
these  furrows  Merton  sprinkled  a  good  dressing  of 
the  poultry  compost,  and  in  the  remaining  five  drills 
we  scattered  wood  ashes.  Thus  we  should  learn  the 
comparative  value  of  these  fertilizers.  Then  I  made 
a  rude  tray  with  two  handles,  so  that  it  could  be  car 
ried  between  Merton  and  myself.  When  the  sun 
declined,  we  went  to  the  strawberry  bed,  and  having 


23 S  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

selected  the  Duchess  variety  to  set  out  first,  soaked 
with  water  a  certain  portion  of  the  ground  that  was 
thick  with  plants.  Half  an  hour  later,  we  could  dig 
up  these  plants  with  a  ball  of  earth  attached  to  their 
roots.  These  were  carried  carefully  on  the  tray  to 
the  field,  and  set  out  in  the  furrows.  We  levelled 
the  ground  first,  so  that  the  crown  of  the  plant 
should  be  even  with  the  surrounding  surface.  We 
set  the  plants  a  foot  apart  in  the  rows,  and  by  dusk 
had  three  rows  out.  Early  the  next  morning  we 
gave  these  plants  a  good  soaking  in  their  new  start 
ing-place,  and,  although  the  weather  was  now  dry 
and  warm,  not  a  leaf  withered,  and  all  began  to  grow 
as  if  they  had  not  been  moved.  It  seemed  slow 
work,  but  I  believed  it  would  pay  in  the  end,  espe 
cially  as  Merton,  Winnie,  and  I  performed  nearly  all 
the  labor. 

We  had  now  dispensed  with  Bagley's  services,  a 
good  word  from  me  having  secured  him  work  else 
where.  I  found  that  I  could  not  make  arrangements 
for  rebuilding  the  barn  before  the  last  of  August, 
and  we  now  began  to  take  a  little  much-needed  rest. 
Our  noonings  were  two  or  three  hours  long.  Mer 
ton  and  Junior  had  time  for  a  good  swim  every  day, 
while  the  younger  children  were  never  weary  of 
wading  in  the  shallows.  I  insisted,  however,  that 
they  should  not  remain  long  in  the  water  on  any  one 
occasion,  and  now  and  then  we  each  took  a  grain  or 
two  of  quinine  to  fortify  our  systems  against  any 
malarial  influences  that  might  be  lurking  around  at 
this  season. 

The  children  were  also  permitted  to  make  expedi- 


AUGUST  WORK  AND   PLAY.  239 

tions  to  mountain-sides  for  huckleberries  and  black 
berries.  As  a  result,  we  often  had  these  wholesome 
fruits  on  the  table,  while  my  wife  canned  the  surplus 
for  winter  use.  A  harvest  apple  tree  also  began  to 
be  one  of  the  most  popular  resorts,  and  delicious 
pies  made  the  dinner-hour  more  welcome  than  ever. 
The  greater  part  of  the  apples  were  sold,  however, 
and  this  was  true  also  of  the  Lima-beans,  sweet 
:orn,  and  melons.  We  all  voted  that  the  smaller 
ears  and  melons  tasted  just  as  good  as  if  we  had 
picked  out  the  best  of  everything,  and  my  account- 
book  showed  that  our  income  was  still  running  well 
ahead  of  our  expenses. 

Bobsey  and  Winnie  had  to  receive  another  touch 
of  discipline  and  learn  another  lesson  from  experi 
ence.  I  had  marked  with  my  eye  a  very  large,  per 
fect  musk-melon,  and  had  decided  that  it  should  be 
kept  for  seed.  They,  too,  had  marked  it  ;  and  one 
morning,  when  they  thought  themselves  unobserved, 
they  carried  it  off  to  the  seclusion  of  the  raspberry 
bushes,  proposing  a  selfish  feast  by  themselves. 

Merton  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  little  marauders, 
and  followed  them.  They  cut  the  melon  in  two,  and 
found  it  green  and  tasteless  as  a  pumpkin.  He  made 
me  laugh  as  he  described  their  dismay  and  disgust, 
then  their  fears  and  forebodings.  The  latter  were 
soon  realized  ;  for,  seeing  me  in  the  distance,  he 
beckoned.  As  I  approached,  the  children  stole  out 
of  the  bushes,  looking  very  guilty. 

Merton  explained,  and  I  said:  "Very  well,  you 
shall  have  your  melon  for  dinner,  and  little  else.  I 
intend  you  shall  enjoy  this  melon  fully.  So  sit  down 


240  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

under  that  tree  and  each  of  you  hold  half  the  melon 
till  I  release  you.  You  have  already  learned  that 
you  can  feast  your  eyes  only." 

There  they  were  kept,  hour  after  hour,  each  hold- 
ing  half  of  the  green  melon.  The  dinner-bell  rang, 
and  they  knew  that  we  had  ripe  melons  and  green 
corn  ;  while  nothing  was  given  them  but  bread  and 
water.  Bobsey  howled,  and  Winnie  sobbed,  but  my 
wife  and  I  agreed  that  such  tendencies  toward  dis 
honesty  and  selfishness  merited  a  lasting  lesson.  At 
supper  the  two  culprits  were  as  hungry  as  little 
wolves  ;  and  when  I  explained  that  the  big  melon 
had  been  kept  for  seed,  and  that  if  it  had  been  left 
to  ripen  they  should  have  had  their  share,  they  felt 
that  they  had  cheated  themselves  completely. 

"Don't  you  see,  children,"  I  concluded,  "that  act 
ing  on  the  square  is  not  only  right,  but  that  it  is 
always  best  for  us  in  the  end  ? " 

Then  I  asked,  "Merton,  what  have  the  Bagley 
children  been  doing  since  they  stopped  picking  rasp 
berries  for  us  ? " 

"  I'm  told  they've  been  gathering  blackberries  and 
huckleberries  in  the  mountains,  and  selling  them." 

"  That's  promising.  Now  I  want  you  to  pick  out 
a  good-sized  water-melon  and  half  a  dozen  musk- 
melons,  and  I'll  leave  them  at  Bagley's  cottage  to 
morrow  night  as  I  go  down  to  the  village.  In  old 
times  they  would  have  stolen  our  crop  ;  now  they 
shall  share  in  it." 

When  I  carried  the  present  on  the  following  even 
ing,  the  children  indulged  in  uncouth  cries  and  gam 
bols  over  the  gift,  and  Bagley  himself  was  touched. 


AUGUST  WORK  AND  PLAY.  241 

"  I'll  own  up  ter  yer,"  he  said,  "  that  yer  melon 
patch  was  sore  temptin'  to  the  young  uns,  but  I  tole 
'em  that  I'd  thrash  'em  if  they  teched  one.  Now 
yer  see,  youngsters,  ye've  got  a  man  of  feelin'  ter 
deal  with,  and  yer've  got  some  melons  arter  all,  and 
got  'em  squar',  too." 

"  I  hear  good  accounts  of  you  and  your  children," 
I  said,  "  and  I'm  glad  of  it.  Save  the  seeds  of  these 
melons  and  plant  a  lot  for  yourself.  See  here,  Bag- 
ley,  we'll  plough  your  garden  for  you  this  fall,  and 
you  can  put  a  better  fence  around  it.  If  you'll  do 
this,  I'll  share  my  garden  seeds  with  you  next  spring, 
and  you  can  raise  enough  on  that  patch  of  ground 
to  half  feed  your  family." 

"  I'll  take  yer  up,"  cried  the  man,  "  and  there's  my 
iiand  on  it  ag'in." 

"  God  bless  you  and  Mrs.  Durham  ! "  added  his 
wife.  "We're  now  beginning  to  live  like  human 
critters." 

I  resumed  my  journey  to  the  village,  feeling  that 
never  before  had  melons  been  better  invested. 

The  Moodna  Creek  had  now  become  very  low,  and 
not  more  than  half  its  stony  bed  was  covered  with 
water.  At  many  points,  light,  active  feet  could  find 
their  way  across  and  not  be  wet.  Junior  now  had  a 
project  on  hand,  of  which  he  and  Merton  had  often 
spoken  lately.  A  holiday  was  given  to  the  boys, 
and  they  went  to  work  to  construct  an  eel  weir  and 
trap.  With  trousers  well  rolled  up,  they  selected  a 
point  on  one  side  of  the  creek  where  the  water  was 
deepest,  and  here  they  left  an  open  passage-way  for 
the  current.  On  each  side  of  this  they  began  to 


242  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

roll  large  stones,  and  on  these  placed  smaller  ones, 
raising  two  long  obstructions  to  the  natural  flow. 
These  continuous  obstructions  ran  obliquely  up 
stream,  directing  the  main  current  to  the  open  pas 
sage,  which  was  only  about  two  feet  wide,  with  a 
post  on  either  side,  narrowing  it  still  more.  In  this 
they  placed  the  trap,  a  long  box  made  of  lath,  suffi 
ciently  open  to  let  the  water  run  through  it,  and  hav 
ing  a  peculiar  opening  at  the  upper  end  where  the 
current  began  to  rush, down  the  narrow  passage-way. 
The  box  rested  closely  on  the  gravelly  bottom,  and 
was  fastened  to  the  posts.  Short,  close-fitting  slats 
from  the  bottom  and  top  of  the  box,  at  its  upper  end, 
sloped  inward,  till  they  made  a  narrow  opening.  All 
its  other  parts  were  eel-tight.  The  eels  coming 
down  with  the  current  which  had  been  directed 
toward  the  entrance  of  the  box,  as  has  been  explained, 
passed  into  it,  and  there  they  would  remain.  They 
never  had  the  wit  to  find  the  narrow  aperture  by 
which  they  had  entered.  This  turned  out  to  be  use 
ful  sport,  for  every  morning  the  boys  lifted  their  trap 
and  took  out  a  goodly  number  of  eels ;  and  when  the 
squirmers  were  nicely  dressed  and  browned,  they 
proved  delicious  morsels. 


A    TJSJJP  TO    THE  SEA-SHORE.  243 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

A  TRIP  TO  THE  SEA-SHORE. 

IN  the  comparative  leisure  which  the  children  en 
joyed  during  August,  they  felt  amply  repaid  for 
the  toil  of  the  previous  months.  We  also  managed 
to  secure  two  great  gala-days.  The  first  was  spent  in 
a  trip  to  the  sea-shore ;  and  this  was  a  momentous 
event,  marred  by  only  one  slight  drawback.  The 
"  Mary  Powell,"  a  swift  steamer,  touched  every 
morning  at  the  Maizeville  Landing.  I  learned  that, 
from  its  wharf  in  New  York,  another  steamer  started 
for  Coney  Island,  and  came  back  in  time  for  us  to 
return  on  the  "  Powell  "  at  3.30  P.M.  Thus  we  could 
secure  a  delightful  sail  down  the  river  and  bay,  and 
also  have  several  hours  on  the  beach.  My  wife  and 
I  talked  over  this  little  outing,  and  found  that  if  we 
took  our  lunch  with  us,  it  would  be  inexpensive.  I 
saw  Mr.  Jones,  and  induced  him  and  his  wife,  with 
Junior,  to  join  us.  Then  the  children  were  told  of 
our  plan,  and  their  hurrahs  made  the  old  house  ring. 
Now  that  we  were  in  for  it,  we  proposed  no  half-way 
measures.  Four  plump  spring  chickens  were  killed 
and  roasted,  and  to  these  were  added  so  many  ham- 
sandwiches  and  hard-boiled  eggs,  that  I  declared  that 


244 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN 


we  were  provisioned  for  a  week.  My  wife  nodded  at 
Bobsey,  and  said,  "  Wait  and  see  ! " 
Whom  do  you  think  we  employed 
to  mount  guard  during  our  absence  ? 
No  other  than  Bagley.  Mr.  Jones 
said  that  it  was  like  asking  a  wolf 
to  guard  the  flock,  for  his  prejudices 
yielded  slowly ;  but  I  felt  sure  that 
this  proof  of  trust  would  do  the  man 
more  good  than  a  dozen  sermons. 

Indeed,  he  did  seem  wonderfully 
pleased  with  his  task,  and  said, 
"Ye'll  find  I've  'arned  my  dollar 
when  ye  git  back." 

The  children  scarcely  slept,  in 
their  glad  anticipation,  and  were  up 
with  the  sun.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones 
drove  down  in  their  light  wagon, 
while  Junior  joined  our  children  in 
another  straw-ride,  packed  in  be 
tween  the  lunch-baskets.  We  had 
ample  time  after  reaching  the  land 
ing  to  put  our  horses  and  vehicles  in 
a  safe  place,  and  then  we  watched 
for  the  "  Powell."  Soon  we  saw  her 
approaching  Newtown,  four  miles 
above,  then  speeding  toward  the 
wharf,  and  rounding  into  it,  with 
the  ease  and  grace  of  a  swan.  We 
scrambled  aboard,  smiled  at  by  all 
I  suppose  we  did  not  form,  with  our  lunch-baskets, 
a  very  stylish  group,  but  that  was  the  least  of  our 


THE  DECK  OF    in*    "MAR*   POWELL." 


246 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 


troubles.  I  am  satisfied  that 
none  of  the  elegant  people 
we  brushed  against  were  half 
so  happy  as  we  were. 

We  stowed  away  our  bas 
kets  and  then  gave  ourselves 
up  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
lovely  Highland  scenery, 
and  to  watching  the  various 
kinds  of  craft  that  we  were 
constantly  passing.  Winnie 
and  Bobsey  had  been  placed 
under  bonds  for  good  be 
havior,  and  were  given  to 
understand  that  they  must 
exercise  the  grace  of  keep 
ing  moderately  still.  The 
sail  down  the  river  and  bay 
was  a  long,  grateful  rest  to 
us  older  people,  and  I  saw 
with  pleasure  that  my  wife 
was  enjoying  every  moment, 
and  that  the  fresh  salt  breeze 
was  fanning  color  into  her 
cheeks.  Plump  Mrs.  Jones 
dozed  and  smiled,  and  won 
dered  at  the  objects  we 
passed,  for  she  had  never 
been  much  of  a  traveller ; 
while  her  husband's  shrewd 
eyes  took  in  everything,  and 
he  often  made  us  laugh  by 


A    TRIP   TO    THE  SEA-SHORE. 

his  quaint  remarks.  Junior  and  Merton  were  as 
alert  as  hawks.  They  early  made  the  acquaintance 
of  deck-hands  who  good-naturedly  answered  their 
numerous  questions.  I  took  the  younger  children  on 
occasional  exploring  expeditions,  but  never  allowed 
them  to  go  beyond  my  reach,  for  I  soon  learned  that 
Bobsey's  promises  sat  lightly  on  his  conscience. 

At  last  we  reached  the  great  Iron  Pier  at  Coney 
Island,  which  we  all  traversed  with  wondering  eyes. 

We  established  ourselves  in  a  large  pavilion,  fit 
ted  up  for  just  such  picnic  parties  as  ours.  Beneath 
us  stretched  the  sandy  beach.  We  elderly  people 
were  glad  enough  to  sit  down  and  rest,  but  the  chil 
dren  forgot  even  the  lunch-baskets,  so  eager  were 
they  to  run  upon  the  sand  in  search  of  shells. 

All  went  well  until  an  unusually  high  wave  came 
rolling  in.  The  children  scrambled  out  of  its  way, 
with  the  exception  of  Bobsey,  who  was  caught  and 
tumbled  over,  and  lay  kicking  in  the  white  foam. 
In  a  moment  I  sprung  down  the  steps,  picked  him 
up,  and  bore  him  to  his  mother. 

He  was  wet  through ;  and  now  what  was  to  be 
done  ?  After  inquiry  and  consultation,  I  found  that 
I  could  procure  for  him  a  little  bathing-dress  which 
would  answer  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  an  old 
colored  woman  promised  to  have  his  clothing  dry  in 
an  hour.  So  the  one  cloud  on  our  pleasure  proved 
to  have  a  very  bright  lining,  for  Bobsey,  since  he 
was  no  longer  afraid  of  the  water,  could  roll  in  the 
sand  and  the  gentle  surf  to  his  heart's  content. 

Having  devoured  a  few  sandwiches  to  keep  up 
our  courage,  we  all  procured  bathing-dresses,  even 


248  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

Mrs.  Jones  having  been  laughingly  compelled  by 
her  husband  to  follow  the  general  example.  When 
we  all  gathered  in  the  passage-way  leading  to  the 
water,  we  were  convulsed  with  laughter  at  our  ridic 
ulous  appearance  ;  but  there  were  so  many  others  in 
like  plight  that  we  were  scarcely  noticed.  Mrs. 
Jones's  dress  was  a  trifle  small,  and  her  husband's 
immensely  large.  He  remarked  that  if  we  could 
now  take  a  stroll  through  Maizeville,  there  wouldn't 
be  a  crow  left  in  town. 

Mrs.  Jones  could  not  be  induced  to  go  beyond  a 
point  where  the  water  was  a  foot  or  two  deep,  and 
the  waves  rolled  her  around  like  an  amiable  porpoise. 
Merton  and  Junior  were  soon  swimming  fearlessly, 
the  latter  wondering,  meanwhile,  at  the  buoyant 
quality  of  the  salt  water.  My  wife,  Mousie,  and 
Winnie  allowed  me  to  take  them  beyond  the  break 
ers,  and  soon  grew  confident.  In  fifteen  minutes  I 
sounded  recall,  and  we  all  emerged,  lank  Mr.  Jones 
now  making,  in  very  truth,  an  ideal  scarecrow.  Bob- 
sey's  dry  garments  were  brought,  and  half  an  hour 
later  we  were  all  clothed,  and,  as  Mr.  Jones  re 
marked,  "  For  a  wonder,  in  our  right  minds." 

The  onslaught  then  made  on  the  lunch-baskets 
was  never  surpassed,  even  at  that  place  of  hungry 
excursionists.  In  due  time  we  reached  home,  tired, 
sleepy,  yet  content  with  the  fact  that  we  had  filled 
one  day  with  enjoyment  and  added  to  our  stock  of 
health. 

The  next  morning  proved  that  Bagley  had  kept 
his  word.  Everything  was  in  order,  and  the  amount 
of  work  accomplished  in  the  garden  showed  that  he 


A    TRIP   TO    THE  SEA-SHORE.  249 

had  been  on  his  mettle.  Hungry  as  we  had  been, 
we  had  not  emptied  our  lunch-baskets,  and  my  wife 
made  up  a  nice  little  present  from  what  remained,  to 
which  was  added  a  package  of  candy,  and  all  was 
carried  to  the  Bagley  cottage. 

Juvenile  experiences  had  not  exactly  taught  the 
Bagley  children  that  "the  way  of  the  transgressor 
is  hard,"  —  they  had  not  gone  far  enough  for  that,  — • 
and  it  certainly  was  our  duty  to  add  such  flowers  as 
we  could  to  the  paths  of  virtue. 

The  month  of  August  was  now  well  advanced. 
We  had  been  steadily  digging  the  potatoes  in  the 
field  and  selling  them  in  their  unripened  condition, 
until  half  the  acre  had  been  cleared.  The  vines  in 
the  lower  half  of  the  patch  were  now  growing  very 
yellow,  and  I  decided  to  leave  them,  until  the  tubers 
should  thoroughly  ripen,  for  winter  use.  By  the 
20th  of  the  month  we  had  all  the  space  that  had 
been  cleared,  that  is,  half  an  acre,  filled  with  Duch 
ess  and  Wilson  strawberries  ;  and  the  plants  first  set 
were  green  and  vigorous,  with  renewed  running  ten 
dencies.  But  the  runners  were  promptly  cut  off,  so 
that  the  plants  might  grow  strong  enough  to  give  a 
good  crop  of  fruit  in  the  following  June. 

I  now  began  to  tighten  the  reins  on  the  children, 
and  we  all  devoted  more  hours  to  work. 

During  the  month  we  gathered  a  few  bushels  of 
plums  on  the  place.  My  wife  preserved  some,  and 
the  rest  were  sold  at  the  boarding-houses  and  village 
stores,  for  Mr.  Bogart  had  written  that  when  I  could 
find  a  home  market  for  small  quantities  of  produce, 
it  would  pay  me  better  than  to  send  them  to  the  city. 


25O  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN, 

I  kept  myself  informed  as  to  city  prices,  and  found 
that  he  had  given  me  good  and  disinterested  advice. 
Therefore,  we  managed  to  dispose  of  our  small  crop 
of  early  pears  and  peaches  as  we  had  done  with  the 
plums.  Every  day  convinced  me  of  the  wisdom  of 
buying  a  place  already  stocked  with  fruit ;  for,  al 
though  the  first  cost  was  greater,  we  had  immedi 
ately  secured  an  income  which  promised  to  leave  a 
margin  of  profit  after  meeting  all  expenses. 

During  the  last  week  of  August  the  potatoes  were 
fully  ripe,  and  Merton,  Winnie,  Bobsey,  and  I  worked 
manfully,  sorting  the  large  from  the  small,  as  they 
were  gathered.  The  crop  turned  out  very  well,  es 
pecially  on  the  lower  side  of  the  field,  where  the 
ground  had  been  rather  richer  and  moister  than  in 
the  upper  portion. 

I  did  not  permit  Merton  to  dig  continuously,  as  it 
was  hard  work  for  him  ;  but  he  seemed  to  enjoy 
throwing  out  the  great,  smooth,  white-coated  fellows, 
and  they  made  a  pretty  sight  as  they  lay  in  thick 
rows  behind  us,  drying,  for  a  brief  time,  in  the  sun. 
They  were  picked  up,  put  into  barrels,  drawn  to  the 
dry,  cool  shed,  and  well  covered  from  the  light.  Mr. 
Jones  had  told  me  that  as  soon  as  potatoes  had  dried 
off  after  digging,  they  ought  to  be  kept  in  the  dark, 
since  too  much  light  makes  them  tough  and  bitter. 
Now  that  they  were  ripe,  it  was  important  that  they 
should  be  dug  promptly,  for  I  had  read  that  a  warm 
rain  is  apt  to  start  the  new  potatoes  to  growing,  and 
this  spoils  them  for  table  use. 

So  I  said  :  "  We  will  stick  to  this  task  until  it  is 
finished,  and  then  we  shall  have  another  outing.  I 


A    TRIP   TO    THE  SEA-SHORE. 


am  almost  ready  to  begin  rebuilding  the  barn  ;  but 
before  I  do  so,  I  wish  to  visit  Houghton  Farm,  and 
shall  take  you  all  with  me.  I  may  obtain  some  ideas 
which  will  be  useful,  even  in  my  small  outlay  of 
money." 


252  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  &D&N. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

A   VISIT   TO    HOUGHTON    FARM. 

HOUGHTON  FARM,  distant  a  few  miles,  is  a 
magnificent  estate  of  about  one  thousand 
acres,  and  the  outbuildings  upon  it  are  princely  in 
comparison  with  anything  I  could  erect.  They  had 
been  constructed,  however,  on  practical  and  scien 
tific  principles,  and  I  hoped  that  a  visit  might  sug 
gest  to  me  some  useful  points.  Sound  principles 
might  be  applied,  in  a  modest  way,  to  even  such  a 
structure  as  would  come  within  my  means.  At  any 
rate,  a  visit  to  such  a  farm  would  be  full  of  interest 
and  pleasure.  So  we  dug  away  at  the  potatoes,  and 
worked  like  ants  in  gathering  them,  until  we  had 
nearly  a  hundred  bushels  stored.  As  they  were  only 
fifty  cents  a  bushel,  I  resolved  to  keep  them  until 
the  following  winter  and  spring,  when  I  might  need 
money  more  than  at  present,  and  also  get  better 
prices. 

Then,  one  bright  day  toward  the  end  of  August, 
we  all  started,  after  an  early  dinner,  for  the  farm, 
Junior  going  with  us  as  usual.  We  had  been  told 
that  the  large-minded  and  liberal  owner  of  this  model 
farm  welcomed  visitors,  and  so  we  had  no  doubts  as 


A    VISIT  TO  HOUGH  TON  FARM.  253 

to  our  reception.  Nor  were  we  disappointed  when, 
having  skirted  broad,  rich  fields  for  some  distance, 
we  turned  to  the  right  down  a  long,  wide  lane,  bor 
dered  by  beautiful  shrubbery,  and  leading  to  the 
great  buildings,  which  were  numbered  conspicuously. 
We  were  courteously  met  by  Major  Alvord,  the 
agent  in  charge  of  the  entire  estate.  I  explained 
the  object  of  my  visit,  and  he  kindly  gave  us  a  few 
moments,  showing  us  through  the  different  barns 
and  stables.  Our  eyes  grew  large  with  wonder  as 
we  saw  the  complete  appliances  for  carrying  on  an 
immense  stock-farm.  The  summer  crops  had  been 
gathered,  and  we  exclaimed  at  the  hundreds  of  tons 
of  hay,  fodder,  and  straw  stored  in  the  mows. 

"We  use  a  ton  of  hay  daily,  after  the  pasture 
season  is  over/'  remarked  our  guide. 

When  we  came  to  look  at  the  sleek  Jersey  cows 
and  calves,  with  their  fawn-like  faces,  our  admiration 
knew  no  bounds.  We  examined  the  stalls  in  which 
could  stand  thirty-four  cows.  Over  each  was  the 
name  of  the  occupant,  all  blood  animals  of  the 
purest  breed,  with  a  pedigree  which  might  put  to 
shame  many  newly  rich  people  displaying  coats-of- 
arms.  The  children  went  into  ecstasies  over  the 
pretty,  innocent  faces  of  the  Jersey  calves,  and 
Mousie  said  they  were  "nice  enough  to  kiss."  Then 
we  were  shown  the  great,  thick-necked,  black-headed 
Jersey  bull,  and  could  scarcely  believe  our  ears  when 
told  that  he,  his  mother,  and  six  brothers  represented 
values  amounting  to  about  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

We  next  visited  a  great  Norman  mare,  as  big1  as 


254  DRIVEN  BACK   TO  EDEN. 

two  ordinary  horses,  and  the  large,  clumsy  colt  at 
her  side ;  then  admired  beautiful  stallions  with  fiery 
eyes  and  arching  necks ;  also  the  superb  carriage* 
horses,  and  the  sleek,  strong  work  animals.  Their 
stalls  were  finely  finished  in  Georgia  pine.  Soon 
afterward,  Bobsey  went  wild  over  the  fat  little  Essex 
pigs,  black  as  coals,  but  making  the  whitest  and 
sweetest  of  pork. 

"  Possess  your  soul  in  patience,  Bobsey,"  I  said. 
"  With  our  barn,  I  am  going  to  make  a  sty,  and  then 
we  will  have  some  pigs." 

I  had  had  no  good  place  for  them  thus  far,  and 
felt  that  we  had  attempted  enough  for  beginners. 
Moreover,  I  could  not  endure  to  keep  pigs  in  the 
muddy  pens  in  ordinary  use,  feeling  that  we  could 
never  eat  the  pork  produced  under  such  conditions. 

The  milk-house  and  dairy  were  examined,  and  we 
thought  of  the  oceans  of  milk  that  had  passed  through 
them. 

A  visit  to  "  Crusoe  Island  "  entertained  the  chil 
dren  more  than  anything  else.  A  mountain  stream 
had  been  dammed  so  as  to  make  an  island.  On  the 
surrounding  waters  were  fleets  of  water-fowl,  ducks 
and  geese  of  various  breeds,  and,  chief  in  interest,  a 
flock  of  Canada  wild-geese,  domesticated.  Here  we 
could  look  closely  at  these  great  wild  migrants  that, 
spring  and  fall,  pass  and  repass  high  up  in  the  sky, 
in  flocks,  flying  in  the  form  of  a  harrow  or  the  two 
sides  of  a  triangle,  meanwhile  sending  out  cries  that, 
in  the  distance,  sound  strange  and  weird. 

Leaving  my  wife  and  children  admiring  these  birds 
and  their  rustic  houses  on  the  island,  I  went  with 


CRUSOE:  ISLAND. 


SOME  OF  THE  SIGHTS  AT  THE  GREAT   STOCK-FARM. 


256  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  ED  Eh. 

Major  Alvord  to  his  offices,  and  saw  the  fine  scientific 
appliances  for  carrying  on  agricultural  experiments 
designed  to  extend  the  range  of  accurate  and  practi 
cal  knowledge.  Not  only  was  the  great  farm  planted 
and  reaped,  blood  stock  grown  and  improved  by 
careful  breeding,  but,  accompanying  all  this  labor, 
was  maintained  a  careful  system  of  experiments  tend 
ing  to  develop  and  establish  that  supreme  science,  — 
the  successful  culture  of  the  soil.  Major  Alvord 
evidently  deserved  his  reputation  for  doing  the  work 
thoroughly  and  intelligently,  and  I  was  glad  to  think 
that  there  were  men  in  the  land,  like  the  proprietor 
of  Houghton  Farm,  who  are  willing  to  spend  thou 
sands  annually  in  enriching  the  rural  classes  by 
bringing  within  their  reach  the  knowledge  that  is 
power. 

After  a  visit  to  the  sheep  and  poultry  departments, 
each  occupying  a  large  farm  by  itself,  we  felt  that  we 
had  seen  much  to  think  and  talk  over. 

It  was  hard  to  get  Winnie  away  from  the  poultry 
houses  and  yards,  where  each  celebrated  breed  was 
kept  scrupulously  by  itself.  There  were  a  thousand 
hens,  besides  innumerable  young  chickens.  We  were 
also  shown  incubators,  which,  in  spring,  hatch  little 
chickens  by  hundreds. 

"  Think  of  fifteen  hundred  eggs  at  a  sitting,  Win 
nie  !  "  I  cried  ;  "  that's  quite  a  contrast  to  the  number 
that  you  put  under  one  of  your  biddies  at  home." 

"I  don't  care,"  replied  the  child;  "we've  raised 
over  a  hundred  chickens  since  we  began." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  I  said.  "That  for  you  —  for  you 
have  seen  to  it  all  chiefly  —  is  a  greater  success  than 
anything  here." 


A    VISIT  TO  HOUGHTON  FARM.  2$? 

I  was  thoughtful  as  we  drove  home,  and  at  last  my 
wife  held  out  a  penny. 

"No,"  I  said,  laughing;  "my  thoughts  shall  not 
cost  you  even  that.  What  I  have  seen  to-day  has 
made  clearer  what  I  have  believed  before.  There 
are  two  distinct  ways  of  securing  success  in  outdoor 
work.  One  is  ours,  and  the  other  is  after  the  plan 
of  Houghton  Farm.  Ours  is  the  only  one  possible 
for  us,  —  that  of  working  a  small  place  and  perform 
ing  the  labor,  as  far  as  possible,  ourselves.  If  I  had 
played  'boss/  as  Bagley  sometimes  calls  me,  and 
hired  the  labor  which  we  have  done  ourselves,  the 
children  meanwhile  idle,  we  should  soon  come  to  a 
disastrous  end  in  our  country  experiment.  The  fact 
that  we  have  all  worked  hard,  and  wisely,  too,  in  the 
main,  and  have  employed  extra  help  only  when  there 
was  more  than  we  could  do,  will  explain  our  account- 
book  ;  that  is,  the  balance  in  our  favor.  I  believe 
that  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  failure  on  the  part  of 
people  in  our  circumstances  is,  that  they  employ 
help  to  do  what  they  should  have  done  themselves, 
and  that  it  doesn't  and  can't  pay  small  farmers  and 
fruit-growers  to  attempt  much  beyond  what  they  can 
take  care  of,  most  of  the  year,  with  their  own  hands. 
Then  there's  the  other  method,  —  that  of  large  capi 
tal  carrying  things  on  as  we  have  seen  to-day.  The 
farm  then  becomes  like  a  great  factory  or  mercantile 
house.  There  must  be  at  the  head  of  everything  a 
large  organizing  brain  capable  of  introducing  and 
enforcing  thorough  system,  and  of  skilfully  directing 
labor  and  investment,  so  as  to  secure  the  most  from 
the  least  outlay.  A  farm  such  as  we  have  just  seen 


25  &  DKJVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

would  be  like  a  bottomless  pit  for  money  in  bungling, 
careless  hands." 

"  I'm  content  with  our  own  little  place  and  modest 
ways,"  said  my  wife.  "  I  never  wish  our  affairs  to 
grow  so  large  that  we  can't  talk  them  over  every 
night,  if  so  inclined." 

"Well,"  I  replied,  "I  feel  as  you  do.  I  never 
should  have  made  a  great  merchant  in  town,  and  I 
am  content  to  be  a  small  farmer  in  the  country,  sail* 
ing  close  to  shore  in  snug  canvas,  with  no  danger  of 
sudden  wreck  keeping  me  awake  nights.  The  insur 
ance  money  will  be  available  in  a  few  days,  and  we 
shall  begin  building  at  once." 

The  next  day  Merton  and  I  cleared  away  the  rest 
of  the  ctibris  in  and  around  the  foundations  of  the 
barn,  and  before  night  the  first  load  of  lumber 
arrived  from  the  carpenter  who  had  taken  the 
contract. 

This  forerunner  of  bustling  workmen,  and  all  the 
mystery  of  fashioning  crude  material  into  something 
looking  like  the  plan  over  which  we  had  all  pored  so 
often,  was  more  interesting  to  the  children  than  the 
construction  of  Solomon's  temple. 

"To-morrow  the  stone-masons  come,"  I  said  at 
supper,  "and  by  October  we  are  promised  a  new 
barn," 


HOARDING  FOR    WINTER.  259 


CHAPTER   XLI. 

HOARDING    FOR    WINTER. 

AS  was  stated  early  in  this  simple  history  the 
original  barn  was  built  on  a  hillside,  the  rear 
facing  the  south-east ;  and  since  the  foundations 
were  still  in  a  fair  condition,  and  the  site  was  con 
venient,  I  determined  to  build  on  the  same  spot, 
somewhat  modifying  the  old  plan.  I  had  read  of  the 
importance  of  keeping  manure  under  cover,  and  now 
arranged  that  by  a  trap  door  the  cleanings  of  the 
horse  and  cow  stable  should  be  thrown  into  the  base 
ment,  which,  by  a  solid  brick  partition,  should  be  so 
divided  as  to  leave  ample  room  for  a  dark  cellar  in 
which  to  store  roots  and  apples.  Through  this  trap 
door  in  the  stable  rich  earth  and  muck  from  the 
banks  of  the  creek  could  be  thrown  down  also,  cover 
ing  the  manure,  and  all  could  be  worked  over  and 
mixed  on  rainy  days.  By  this  method  I  could  make 
the  most  of  my  fertilizers,  which  may  be  regarded  as 
the  driving-wheel  of  the  farm. 

I  had  decided  that  the  poultry-house  and  pigsty 
should  form  an  extension  to  the  barn,  and  that  both 
should  be  built  in  the  side  of  the  bank  also.  They 
would  thus  have  an  exposure  to  the  south,  and  at  the 


260  DRIVEN  BACK  TO 

same  time,  being  formed  in  part  by  an  excavation, 
would  be  cool  in  summer.  The  floor  of  the  sty 
should  have  a  slight  downward  slope,  and  be  ce 
mented.  Therefore  it  could  be  kept  perfectly  clean. 
This  residence  of  Bobsey's  future  pets  should  be  at 
the  extreme  end  of  the  extension,  and  above  it  should 
be  a  room  in  which  I  could  store  picked-up  apples, 
corn,  and  other  food  adapted  to  their  needs,  also  a 
conduit  by  which  swill  could  be  poured  into  the 
trough  below  without  the  necessity  of  entering  the 
pen.  I  proposed  to  keep  only  two  or  three  pigs  at 
a  time,  buying  them  when  young  from  neighboring 
farmers,  and  fattening  them  for  our  own  use  according 
to  my  own  ideas. 

The  poultry-house,  between  the  barn  and  sty,  was 
to  be  built  so  that  its  side,  facing  the  south,  should  be 
chiefly  of  glass.  It  was  so  constructed  as  to  secure 
the  greatest  amount  of  light  and  warmth.  Eggs  in 
winter  form  the  most  profitable  item  in  poultry  keep 
ing,  and  these  depend  on  warmth,  food,  shelter,  and 
cleanliness,  with  the  essential  condition  that  the  hens 
are  young.  All  the  pullets  of  Winnie's  early  broods 
therefore  had  been  kept,  and  only  the  young  cocker 
els  eaten  or  sold.  We  had  the  prospect  of  wintering 
about  fifty  laying  hens  ;  and  the  small  potatoes  we 
had  saved  would  form  a  large  portion  of  their  food. 
Indeed,  for  some  weeks  back,  such  small  tubers, 
boiled  and  mashed  with  meal,  had  formed  the  main 
feed  of  our  growing  chickens. 

I  learned  that  Bagley  was  out  of  work,  and  em 
ployed  him  to  excavate  the  bank  for  these  new  build 
ings.  We  saved  the  surface  earth  carefully  for 


HOARDING  FOR    WINTER.  26 1 

compost  purposes,  and  then  struck  some  clean,  nice 
gravel,  which  was  carted  away  to  a  convenient  place 
for  our  roads  and  walks.  On  a  hillside  near  the 
creek  were  large  stones  and  rocks  in  great  quantity, 
and  some  of  these  were  broken  up  for  the  founda 
tions.  Along  the  edge  of  the  creek  we  also  found 
some  excellent  sand,  and  therefore  were  saved  not  a 
little  expense  in  starting  our  improvements. 

It  did  not  take  the  masons  long  to  point  up  and 
strengthen  the  old  foundations,  and  early  in  Septem 
ber  everything  was  under  full  headway,  the  sound  of 
hammer,  saw,  and  plane  resounding  all  day  long.  It 
was  Winnie's  and  Bobsey's  task  to  gather  up  the 
shavings  and  refuse  bits  of  lumber,  and  carry  them 
to  the  woodhouse. 

/'The  ease  and  quickness  with  which  we  can  build 
fires  next  winter,"  I  said,  "  is  a  pleasant  thing  to 
think  of." 

Meanwhile  the  garden  was  not  neglected.  The 
early  flight  of  summer-boarders  had  greatly  reduced 
the  demand  for  vegetables,  and  now  we  began  to 
hoard  them  for  our  own  use.  The  Lima-beans  were 
allowed  to  dry  on  the  vines  ;  the  matured  pods  of  the 
bush-beans  were  spread  in  the  attic ;  thither  also  the 
ripened  onions  were  brought  and  placed  in  shallow 
boxes.  As  far  as  possible  we  had  saved  our  own 
seed,  and  I  had  had  a  box  made  and  covered  with 
tin,  so  as  to  be  mouse-proof,  and  in  this  we  placed 
the  different  varieties,  carefully  labelled.  Although 
it  was  not  "  apple  year,"  a  number  of  our  trees  were 
in  bearing.  The  best  of  the  windfalls  were  picked 
up,  and,  with  the  tomatoes  and  such  other  vegetables 


262  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

as  were  in  demand,  s^nt  to  the  village  twice  a  week. 
As  fast  as  crops  matured,  the  ground  was  cleared, 
and  the  refuse,  such  as  contained  no  injurious  seeds, 
was  saved  as  a  winter  covering  for  the  strawberry 
plants. 

Our  main  labor,  however,  after  digging  the  rest  of 
the  potatoes,  was  the  setting  of  the  remaining  half- 
acre  in  the  later  varieties  of  the  strawberry.  Al 
though  the  early  part  of  September  was  very  dry  and 
warm,  we  managed  to  set  out,  in  the  manner  I  have 
described,  two  or  three  rows  nearly  every  afternoon. 
The  nights  had  now  grown  so  long  and  cool  that  one 
thorough  watering  seemed  to  establish  the  plants. 
This  was  due  chiefly  to  the  fact  that  nearly  every 
plant  had  a  ball  of  earth  attached  to  the  roots,  and 
had  never  been  allowed  to  wilt  at  all  in  the  transition. 
About  the  middle  of  the  month  there  came  a  fine 
rain,  and  we  filled  the  remainder  of  the  ground  in  one 
day,  all  the  children  aiding  me  in  the  task.  The 
plants  first  set  out  were  now  strong  and  flourishing 
Each  had  a  bunch  of  foliage  six  inches  in  diameter. 

Thus,  with  helping  on  the  new  barn  and  othei 
work,  September  saw  a  renewal  of  our  early-summer 
activity. 

"  The  winds  in  the  trees  are  whispering  of  winter," 
I  said  to  the  children,  "  and  all  thrifty  creatures  — 
ants,  bees,  and  squirrels  —  are  laying  up  their  stores. 
So  must  we." 

I  had  watched  our  maturing  corn  with  great  satis 
faction.  For  a  long  time  Merton  had  been  able  to 
walk  through  it  without  his  straw  hat  being  seen 
above  the  nodding  tassels.  One  day,  about  the  2Oth 


HOARDING  FOR    WINTER.  26$ 

of  the  month,  Mr.  Jones  came  over  with  some  bun 
dles  of  long  rye  straw  in  his  wagon,  and  said,  "  Yer 
can't  guess  what  these  are  fer." 

"  Some  useful  purpose,  or  you  wouldn't  have 
brought  them,"  I  replied. 

"We'll  see.     Come  with  me  to  the  corn  patch." 

As  we  started  he  took  a  bundle  under  his  arm,  and 
I  saw  that  he  had  in  his  hand  a  tool  called  a  corn- 
knife.  Going  through  the  rows  he  occasionally 
stripped  down  the  husks  from  an  ear. 

Finally  he  said  :  "Yes,  it's  ready.  Don't  yer  see 
that  the  kernels  are  plump  and  glazed  ?  Junior  and 
I  are  going  to  tackle  our  corn  ter-morrow,  and  says  I 
to  myself,  '  If  ourn  is  ready  to  cut,  so  is  neighbor  Dur 
ham's.'  The  sooner  it's  cut  after  it's  ready,  the  bet 
ter.  The  stalks  are  worth  more  for  fodder,  and  you 
run  no  risk  from  an  early  frost,  which  would  spile  it 
all.  You  and  Merton  pitch  in  as  yer  allers  do,  and 
this  is  the  way  ter  do  it." 

With  his  left  hand  gathering  the  stalks  of  a  hill 
together  above  the  ears,  he  cut  them  all  off  with  one 
blow  of  the  corn-knife  within  six  inches  of  the  ground, 
and  then  leaned  them  against  the  stalks  of  an  uncut 
hill.  This  he  continued  to  do  until  he  had  made 
what  he  called  a  "  stout,"  or  a  bunch  of  stalks  as 
large  as  he  could  conveniently  reach  around,  the  un 
cut  hill  of  stalks  forming  a  support  in  the  centre. 
Then  he  took  a  wisp  of  the  rye  straw,  divided  it 
evenly,  and  putting  the  ends  together,  twisted  it 
speedily  into  a  sort  of  rope.  With  this  he  bound 
the  stout  tightly  above  the  ears  by  a  simple  method 
which  one  showing  made  plain  to  me. 


264  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"Well,  you  are  a  good  neighbor  !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Pshaw  !  What  does  this  amount  to  ?  If  a  man 
can't  do  a  good  turn  when  it  costs  as  little  as  this, 
he's  a  mighty  mean  feller.  You  forget  that  I've  sold 
you  a  lot  of  rye-straw,  and  so  have  the  best  of  yer 
after  all." 

"  I  don't  forget  anything,  Mr.  Jones.  As  you  say, 
I  believe  we  shall  '  make  a  go  '  of  it  here,  but  we 
always  remember  how  much  we  owe  to  you  and 
Junior.  You've  taken  my  money  in  a  way  that  saved 
my  self-respect,  and  made  me  feel  that  I  could  go  to 
you  as  often  as  I  wished ;  but  you  have  never  taken 
advantage  of  me,  and  you  have  kept  smart  people 
from  doing  it.  Do  you  know,  Mr.  Jones,  that  in 
every  country  village  there  are  keen,  weasel-like 
people  who  encourage  new-comers  by  bleeding  their 
pocket-books  at  every  chance  ?  In  securing  you  as  a 
neighbor  our  battle  was  half  won,  for  no  one  needs 
a  good  practical  friend  more  than  a  city  man  begin 
ning  life  in  the  country." 

"  Jerusalem  !  how  you  talk  !  I'm  goin'  right  home 
and  tell  my  wife  to  call  me  Saint  Jones.  Then  I'll 
get  a  tin  halo  and  wear  it,  for  my  straw  hat  is  about 
played  out  ; "  and  away  he  went,  chuckling  over  his 
odd  conceits,  but  pleased,  as  all  men  are,  when  their 
good-will  is  appreciated.  If  there  is  one  kind  of 
meanness  that  disgusts  average  human-nature  more 
than  another  it  is  a  selfish,  unthankful  reception  of 
kindness,  a  swinish  return  for  pearls. 

After  an  early  supper  I  drove  to  the  village  with 
what  I  had  to  sell,  and  returned  with  two  corn-hooks. 
At  dusk  of  the  following  clay,  Bagley  and  I  had  the 


HOARDING  FOR    WINTER.  263 

corn  cut  and  tied  up,  my  helper  remarking  more  than 
once,  "  Tell  you  what  it  is,  Mr.  Durham,  there  hain't 
a  better  eared-out  patch  o'  corn  in  Maizeville." 

On  the  following  day  I  helped  Bagley  sharpen  one 
of  the  hooks,  and  we  began  to  cut  the  fodder-corn 
which  now  stood,  green  and  succulent,  averaging  two 
feet  in  height  throughout  the  field. 


266  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEJUf. 


CHAPTER   XLII. 

AUTUMN    WORK   AND    SPORT. 

THE  barn  was  now  up,  and  the  carpenters  were 
roofing  it  in,  while  two  days  more  of  work 
wouki  complete  the  sty  and  poultry-house.  Every 
stroke  of  the  hammer  told  rapidly  now,  and  we  all 
exulted  over  our  new  and  better  appliances  for  carry 
ing  out  our  plan  of  country  life.  Since  the  work  was 
being  done  by  contract,  I  contented  myself  with  see 
ing  that  it  was  done  thoroughly.  Meanwhile  Merton 
was  busy  with  the  cart,  drawing  rich  earth  from  the 
banks  of  the  creek.  I  determined  that  the  making 
of  great  piles  of  compost  should  form  no  small  part 
of  my  fall  and  winter  labor.  The  proper  use  of  fer 
tilizers  during  the  present  season  had  given  such  a 
marked  increase  to  our  crops  that  it  became  clear 
that  our  best  prospect  of  growing  rich  was  in  mak 
ing  the  land  rich. 

During  the  last  week  of  September  the  nights 
were  so  cool  as  to  suggest  frost,  and  I  said  to  Mousie  : 
"  I  think  we  had  better  take  up  your  geraniums  and 
other  window  plants,  and  put  them  in  pots  or  boxes. 
We  can  then  stand  them  under  a  tree  which  would 
shelter  them  from  a  slight  frost.  Should  there  be 


AUTUMN  WORK  AND  SPORT. 


267 


serious  danger  it  would  take  us  only  a  few  minutes 
to  bring  them  into  the  house.  You  have  taken  such 
good  care  of  -them  all  summer  that  I  do  not  intend 
that  you  shall  lose  them  now.  Take  your  flower  book 
and  read  what  kind  of  soil  they  grow  best  in  during 
the  winter,  and  then  Merton  can  help  you  get  it." 
The  child  was  all  solicitude  about  her  pets,  and 


after  dinner  she  and  Merton,  the  latter  trundling  a 
wheelbarrow,  went  down  to  the  creek  and  obtained 
a  lot  of  fine  sand  and  some  leaf-mould  from  under  the 
trees  in  the  woods.  These  ingredients  we  carefully 
mixed  with  rich  soil  from  the  flower-bed  and  put  the 
compound  in  the  pots  and  boxes  around  the  roots  of 
as  many  plants  as  there  was  room  for  on  the  table 
by  the  sunny  kitchen  window.  Having  watered 
them  thoroughly,  we  stood  them  under  a  tree,  there 


268  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEtf. 

to  remain  until  a  certain  sharpness  in  the  air  should 
warn  us  to  carry  them  to  their  winter  quarters. 

The  Lima-beans,  as  fast  as  the  pods  grew  dry,  or 
even  yellow,  were  picked  and  spread  in  the  attic. 
They  could  be  shelled  at  our  leisure  on  stormy  winter 
days. 

Early  in  September  my  wife  had  begun  to  give 
Mousie,  Winnie,  and  Bobsey  their  lessons  again. 
Since  we  were  at  some  distance  from  a  school- 
house  we  decided  to  continue  this  arrangement  for 
the  winter  with  the  three  younger  children.  I  felt 
that  Merton  should  go  to  school  as  soon  as  possible, 
but  he  pleaded  hard  for  a  reprieve  until  the  last  of 
October,  saying  that  he  did  not  wish  to  begin  before 
Junior.  As  we  still  had  a  great  deal  to  do,  and  as 
the  boy  had  set  his  heart  on  some  fall  shooting,  I 
yielded,  he  promising  to  study  all  the  harder  when 
he  began. 

I  added,  however :  "  The  evenings  have  grown  so 
long  that  you  can  write  for  half  an  hour  after  supper, 
and  then  we  will  review  your  arithmetic  together. 
It  will  do  me  good  as  well  as  you." 

During  the  ensuing  weeks  we  carried  out  this  plan 
partially,  but  after  a  busy  day  in  the  open  air  we  were 
apt  to  nod  over  our  tasks.  We  were  both  taught  the 
soundness  of  the  principle  that  brain-work  should 
precede  physical  exercise. 

The  ist  day  of  October  was  bright,  clear,  and  mild, 
and  we  welcomed  the  true  beginning  of  fall  in  our 
latitude  most  gladly.  This  month  competes  with 
May  in  its  fitness  for  ideal  country  life.  The  chil 
dren  voted  it  superior  to  all  other  months,  feeling 


AUTUMX  WORK  AND  SPORT.  269 

that  a  vista  of  unalloyed  delights  was  opening  before 
them.  Already  the  butternuts  were  falling  from 
several  large  trees  on  the  place,  and  the  burrs  on  the 
chestnuts  were  plump  with  their  well-shielded  treas 
ures.  Winnie  and  Bobsey  began  to  gather  these 
burrs  from  the  lower  limbs  of  an  immense  tree, 
eighteen  feet  in  circumference,  and  to  stamp  out  the 
half-brown  nuts  within. 

"  One  or  two  frosts  will  ripen  them  and  open  the 
burrs,"  I  said,  and  then  the  children  began  to  long 
for  the  frost  which  I  dreaded. 

While  I  still  kept  the  younger  children  busy  for  a 
few  hours  every  clear  morning  in  the  garden,  and 
especially  at  clipping  the  runners  from  the  strawberry 
plants  in  the  field,  they  were  given  ample  time  to 
gather  their  winter  hoards  of  nuts.  This  pursuit 
afforded  them  endless  items  .for  talk,  Bobsey  mod 
estly  assuring  us  that  he  alone  would  gather  about  a 
million  bushels  of  butternuts,  and  almost  as  many 
chestnuts  and  walnuts. 

"  What  will  the  squirrels  do  then  ? "  I  asked. 

"  They  must  do  as  I  do,"  he  cried ;  "  pick  up  and 
carry  off  as  fast  as  they  can.  They'll  have  a  better 
chance  than  me,  too,  for  they  can  work  all  day  long. 
The  little  scamps  are  already  taking  the  nuts  off  the 
trees  —  I've  seen  'em,  and  I  wish  Merton  would  shoot 
'em  all." 

"  Well,  Merton,"  said  I,  laughing,  "  I  suppose  that 
squirrels  are  proper  game  for  you ;  but  I  hope  that 
you  and  Junior  won't  shoot  robins.  They  are  too 
useful  a  bird  to  kill,  and  I  feel  grateful  for  all  the 
music  they've  given  us  during  the  past  summer.  I 


2/0  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEtf. 

know  the  law  permits  you  to  shoot  them  now,  but 
you  and  Junior  should  be  more  civilized  than  such  a 
law." 

"  If  we  don't  get  'em,  everybody  else  will,  and  we 
might  as  well  have  our  share,"  he  replied. 

I  knew  that  there  was  no  use  in  drawing  the  reins 
too  tight,  and  so  I  said :  "  I  have  a  proposition  to 
make  to  you  and  Junior.  I'd  like  you  both  to  prom 
ise  not  to  shoot  robins  except  on  the  wing.  That 
will  teach  you  to  be  expert  and  quick-eyed.  A  true 
sportsman  is  not  one  who  tries  to  kill  as  much  game 
as  possible,  but  to  kill  scientifically,  skilfully.  There 
is  more  pleasure  in  giving  your  game  a  chance,  and 
in  bringing  it  down  with  a  fine  long  shot,  than  in 
slaughtering  the  poor  creatures  like  chickens  in  a 
coop.  Anybody  can  shoot  a  robin,  sitting  on  a 
bough  a  few  yards  off,  but  to  bring  one  down  when 
in  rapid  flight  is  the  work  of  a  sportsman.  Never 
allow  yourself  to  be  known  as  a  mere  'pot-hunter.' 
For  my  part,  I  had  rather  live  on  pork  than  on  robins 
or  any  useful  birds." 

He  readily  agreed  not  to  fire  at  robins  except  when 
flying,  and  to  induce  Junior  to  do  likewise.  I  was 
satisfied  that  not  many  of  my  little  favorites  would 
suffer. 

"Very  well,"  I  said,  "I'll  coax  Mr.  Jones  to  let 
Junior  off  to-morrow,  and  you  can  have  the  entire 
day  to  get  your  hands  in.  This  evening  you  can  go 
down  to  the  village  and  buy  a  stock  of  ammunition." 

The  boy  went  to  his  work  happy  and  contented. 

"  Papa,  where  can  we  dry  our  butternuts  ?  "  Win* 
nie  asked. 


2/2  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"I'll  fix  a  place  on  the  roof  of  the  shed  right 
away,"  I  said.  "  Its  slope  is  very  gradual,  and  if  I 
nail  some  slats  on  the  lower  side  you  can  spread  the 
millions  of  bushels  that  you  and  Bobsey  will  gather.'* 

Now  Bobsey  had  a  little  wagon,  and,  having  fin 
ished  his  morning  stint  of  work,  he,  with  Mousie  and 
Winnie,  started  off  to  the  nearest  butternut-tree ; 
and  during  the  remainder  of  the  day,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  the  time  devoted  to  lessons,  loads  came 
often  to  the  shed,  against  which  I  had  left  a  ladder. 
By  night  they  had  at  least  one  of  the  million  bushels 
spread  and  drying. 

As  they  brought  in  their  last  load  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  I  said  to  them,  "  Come  and  see  what 
I've  got." 

I  led  the  way  to  the  sty,  and  there  were  grunting 
three  half-grown  pigs.  Now  that  the  pen  was  ready 
I  had  waited  no  longer,  and,  having  learned  from 
Rollins  that  he  was  willing  to  sell  some  of  his  stock, 
had  bought  three  sufficiently  large  to  make  good  pork 
by  the  ist  of  December. 

The  children  welcomed  the  new-comers  with 
shouts  ;  but  I  said  :  "  That  won't  do.  You'll  fright 
en  them  so  that  they'll  try  to  jump  out  of  the  pen. 
Run  now  and  pick  up  a  load  of  apples  in  your  wagon 
and  throw  them  to  the  pigs.  They'll  understand  and 
like  such  a  welcoming  better;"  and  so  it  proved. 

At  supper  I  said  :  "  Children,  picking  up  apples, 
which  was  such  fun  this  evening,  will  hereafter  be 
part  of  your  morning  work,  for  a  while.  In  the 
room  over  the  sty  is  a  bin  which  must  be  filled 
with  the  fallen  apples  before  any  nuts  can  be 
gathered." 


AUTUMN  WORK  AND  SPORT.  2/3 

Even  Bobsey  laughed  at  the  idea  that  this  was 
work  ;  but  I  knew  that  it  would  soon  become  so. 
Then  Mousie  exclaimed,  "Papa,  do  you  know  that 
the  red  squirrels  are  helping  us  to  gather  nuts  ? " 

"  If  so,  certainly  without  meaning  it.     How  ?  " 

"  Well,  as  we  were  coming  near  one  of  the  trees 
we  saw  a  squirrel  among  the  branches,  and  we  hid 
behind  a  bush  to  watch  him.  We  soon  found  that 
he  was  tumbling  down  the  nuts,  for  he  would  go  to 
the  end  of  a  limb  and  bite  cluster  after  cluster.  The 
thought  that  we  would  get  the  nuts  so  tickled  Bobsey 
that  he  began  to  laugh  aloud,  and  then  the  squirrel 
ran  barking  away." 

"You  needn't  crow  so  loud,  Bobsey,"  I  said. 
"The  squirrel  will  fill  many  a  hole  in  hollow  trees 
before  winter,  in  spite  of  you." 

"I'll  settle  his  business  before  he  steals  many 
more  of  our  nuts,"  spoke  up  Merton. 

"  You  know  the  squirrel  wasn't  stealing,  my  boy. 
The  nuts  grew  for  him  as  truly  as  for  you  youngsters. 
At  the  same  time  I  suppose  he  will  forr  part  of  a 
pot-pie  before  long." 

"  I  hate  to  think  that  such  pretty  little  creatures 
should  be  killed,"  said  Mousie. 

"I  feel  much  the  same,"  I  admitted;  "and  yet 
Merton  will  say  we  cannot  indulge  in  too  much  sen 
timent.  You  know  that  we  read  that  red  squirrels 
are  mischievous  in  the  main.  They  tumble  little 
birds  out  of  their  nests,  carry  off  corn,  and  I  have 
seen  them  gnawing  apples  for  the  sake  of  the 
seeds.  It  wouldn't  do  for  them  to  become  too  plen 
tiful.  Moreover,  game  should  have  its  proper  place 


274  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

as  food,  and  as  a  means  of  recreation.  We  raise 
chickens  and  kill  them.  Under  wise  laws,  well 
enforced,  nature  would  fill  the  woods,  fields,  and 
mountains  with  partridges,  quail,  rabbits,  and  other 
wholesome  food.  Remember  what  an  old  and  thick 
ly  settled  land  England  is,  yet  the  country  is  alive 
with  game.  There  it  is  protected  on  great  estates, 
but  here  the  people  must  agree  to  protect  it  for 
themselves." 

"Junior  says,"  Merton  explained,  "that  the  par. 
tridges  and  rabbits  in  the  mountains  are  killed  off  by 
foxes  and  wild-cats  and  wood-choppers  who  catch 
them  in  traps  and  snares." 

"  I  fancy  the  wood-choppers  do  the  most  harm.  If 
I  had  my  way,  there  would  be  a  big  bounty  for  the 
destruction  of  foxes,  and  a  heavy  fine  for  all  trappers 
of  game.  The  country  would  be  tenfold  more  inter 
esting  if  it  were  full  of  wild,  harmless,  useful  crea 
tures.  I  hope  the  time  will  come  when  our  streams 
will  be  again  thoroughly  stocked  with  fish,  and  our 
wild  lands  with  game.  If  hawks,  foxes,  trappers, 
and  other  nuisances  could  be  abolished,  there  would 
be  space  on  yonder  mountains  for  partridges  to  flour 
ish  by  the  million.  I  hope,  as  the  country  grows 
older,  that  the  people  will  intelligently  co-work  with 
nature  in  preserving  and  increasing  all  useful  wild 
life.  Every  stream,  lake,  and  pond  could  be  crowded 
with  fish,  and  every  grove  and  forest  afford  a  shelter 
and  feeding-ground  for  game.  There  should  be  a 
wise  guardianship  of  wild  life,  such  as  we  maintain 
over  our  poultry-yards,  and  skill  exercised  in  increas 
ing  it.  Then  nature  would  supplement  our  labors, 


AUTUMN  WORK  AND  SPORT.  2/5 

and  furnish  a  large  amount  of  delicious  food  at  little 
cost." 

"Well,  papa,  I  fear  I  shall  be  gray  before  your 
fine  ideas  are  carried  out.  From  what  Junior  says, 
I  guess  that  Bagley  and  his  children,  and  others  like 
them,  will  get  more  game  this  winter  than  we  will, 
and  without  firing  a  shot.  They  are  almost  as  wild 
as  the  game  itself,  and  know  just  where  to  set  their 
snares  for  it.  I  can't  afford  to  wait  until  it's  all 
killed  off,  or  till  that  good  time  comes  of  which  you 
speak,  either.  I  hope  to  shoot  enough  for  a  pot-pie 
at  least  to-morrow,  and  to  have  very  good  sport  while 
about  it." 

"  I  have  good  news  about  the  Bagley  children," 
said  my  wife.  "  I  was  down  there  to-day,  and  all  the 
children  begin  school  next  Monday.  Between  clothes 
which  our  children  have  outgrown,  and  what  Mrs. 
Bagley  has  been  able  to  buy  and  make,  all  three  of 
the  young  Bagleys  make  a  very  respectable  appear 
ance.  I  took  it  upon  myself  to  tell  the  children  that 
if  they  went  to  school  regularly  we  would  make  them 
nice  Christmas  presents." 

"And  I  confirm  the  bargain  heartily,"  I  cried. 
"Merton,  look  out  for  yourself,  or  the  Bagley  boy 
will  get  ahead  of  you  at  school." 

He  laughed  and,  with  Junior,  started  for  the  vil 
lage,  to  get  their  powder  and  shot. 

The  next  morning  after  preparing  a  good  lot  of 
cartridges  before  breakfast,  the  two  boys  started, 
and,  having  all  day  before  them,  took  their  lunches 
with  the  intention  of  exploring  Schunemunk  Moun 
tain.  The  squirrels,  birds,  and  rabbits  near  home 


2/6  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

were  reserved  for  odd  times  when  the  lads  could  slip 
away  for  a  few  hours  only. 

Our  new  barn,  now  about  completed,  gave  my  wife 
and  me  as  much  pleasure  as  the  nuts  and  game  af 
forded  the  children.  I  went  through  it,  adding  here 
and  there  some  finishing-  touches  and  little  conven 
iences,  a  painter  meanwhile  giving  it  a  final  coat  of 
dark,  cheap  wash. 

Our  poultry-house  was  now  ready  for  use,  and  I 
said  to  Winnie,  "  To-night  we  will  catch  the  chickens 
and  put  them  in  it." 

The  old  horse  had  already  been  established  in  the 
stable,  and  I  resolved  that  the  cow  should  come  in 
from  this  time.  In  the  afternoon  I  began  turning 
over  the  fodder  corn,  and  saw  that  a  very  few  more 
days  would  cure  it.  Although  I  decided  not  to  be 
gin  the  main  husking  until  after  the  middle  of  the 
month,  I  gathered  enough  ears  to  start  the  pigs  on 
the  fattening  process.  Towards  night  I  examined 
the  apples,  and  determined  to  adopt  old  Mr.  Jamison's 
plan  of  picking  the  largest  and  ripest  at  once,  leav 
ing  the  smaller  and  greener  fruit  to  mature  until  the 
last  of  the  month.  The  dark  cellar  was  already  half 
filled  with  potatoes,  but  the  space  left  for  such  apples 
as  we  should  pick  was  ready.  From  time  to  time 
when  returning  from  the  village  I  had  brought  up 
empty  barrels ;  and  in  some  of  these,  earlier  kinds, 
like  fall  pippins  and  greenings,  had  been  packed  and 
shipped  to  Mr.  Bogart.  By  his  advice  I  had  resolved 
to  store  the  later  varieties  and  those  which  would 
keep  well,  disposing  of  them  gradually  to  the  best 
advantage.  I  made  up  my  mind  that  the  morrow 


AUTUMN"  WORK  AND  SPORT.  277 

should  see  the  beginning  of  our  chief  labor  in  the 
orchard.  I  had  sold  a  number  of  barrels  of  wind 
falls,  but  they  brought  a  price  that  barely  repaid  us. 
My  examination  of  the  trees  now  convinced  me  that 
there  should  be  no  more  delay  in  taking  off  the  large 
and  fine-looking  fruit.  t 

With  the  setting  sun  Merton  and  Junior  arrived, 
scarcely  able  to  drag  their  weary  feet  down  the  lane. 
Nevertheless  their  fatigue  was  caused  by  efforts  en 
tirely  after  their  own  hearts,  and  they  declared  that 
they  had  had  a  "  splendid  time."  Then  they  emp 
tied  their  game-bags.  Each  of  the  boys  had  a  par 
tridge,  Merton  one  rabbit,  and  Junior  two.  Merton 
kept  up  his  prestige  by  showing  two  gray  squirrels 
to  Junior's  one.  Red  squirrels  abounded,  and  a  few 
robins,  brought  down  on  the  wing  as  the  boys  had 
promised. 

I  was  most  interested  in  the  rattles  of  the  deadly 
snake  which  Junior  had  nearly  stepped  on  and  then 
shot. 

"  Schunemunk  is  full  of  rattlers,"  Junior  said. 

"  Please  don't  hunt  there  any  more  then,"  I  re 
plied. 

"No,  we'll  go  into  the  main  Highlands  to  the 
east'ard  next  time." 

Merton  had  also  brought  down  a  chicken  hawk  ; 
and  the  game,  spread  out  on  the  kitchen  table,  sug 
gested  much  interesting  wild  life,  about  which  I  said 
we  should  read  during  the  coming  winter,  adding: 
"  Well,  boys,  you  have  more  than  earned  your  salt  in 
your  sport  to-day,  for  each  of  you  has  supplied  two 
game  dinners.  We  shall  live  like  aldermen  now,  I 
suppose." 


2/8  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"Yes,"  cried  Merton,  "whether  you  call  me  'pot 
hunter*  or  not,  I  mean  my  gun  to  pay  its  way." 

"I've  no  objections  to  that,"  was  my  laughing 
answer,  "  as  long  as  you  shoot  like  a  sportsman,  and 
not  like  a  butcher.  Your  guns,  boys,  will  pay  best, 
however,  in  making  you  strong,  and  in  giving  you 
some  well-deserved  fun  after  your  busy  summer.  I 
feel  that  you  have  both  earned  the  right  to  a  good 
deal  of  play  this  month,  and  that  you  will  study  all 
the  harder  for  it  by  and  by." 

"I  hope  you'll  talk  father  into  that  doctrine," 
said  Junior,  as  he  sat  down  to  supper  with  us. 

The  boys  were  drowsy  as  soon  as  they  had  satisfied 
their  keen  appetites,  and  Mousie  laughed  at  them, 
saying  that  she  had  been  reading  how  the  boa-con 
strictor  gorged  himself  and  then  went  to  sleep,  and 
that  they  reminded  her  of  the  snake. 

"  I  guess  I'll  go  home  after  that,"  said  Junior. 

"  Now  you  know  I  was  only  poking  a  little  fun," 
said  Mousie,  ruefully,  as  she  ran  into  the  kitchen 
and  gathered  up  his  game  for  him,  looking  into  his 
face  so  archly  and  coaxingly  that  he  burst  out :  "  You 
beat  all  the  game  in  the  country.  I'll  shoot  a  blue 
jay,  and  give  you  its  wings  for  your  hat,  see  if  I 
don't ; "  and  with  this  compliment  and  promise  he 
left  the  child  happy. 

Merton  was  allowed  to  sleep  late  the  next  morn- 
ing,  and  was  then  set  to  work  in  the  orchard,  I  di 
viding  my  time  between  aiding  in  picking  the  apples 
and  turning  over  the  fodder  corn. 

"You  can  climb  like  a  squirrel,  Merton,  and  I 
must  depend  on  you  chiefly  for  gathering  the  apples. 


280  DRIVEN  BACK   TO   EDEN. 

Handle  them  like  eggs,  so  as  not  to  bruise  them,  and 
then  they  will  keep  better.  After  we  have  gone  over 
the  trees  once  and  have  stacked  the  fodder  corn  you 
shall  have  a  good  time  with  your  gun." 

For  the  next  few  days  we  worked  hard,  and  nearly 
finished  the  first  picking  of  the  apples,  also  getting 
into  shocks  the  greater  part  of  the  corn.  Then  came 
a  storm  of  wind  and  rain,  and  the  best  of  the  apples 
on  one  tree,  which  we  had  neglected,  were  soon  lying 
on  the  ground,  bruised  and  unfit  for  winter  keeping. 

"You  see,  Merton,"  I  said,  "that  we  must  manage 
to  attend  to  the  trees  earlier  next  year.  Live  and 
learn." 

The  wind  came  out  of  the  north  the  day  after  the 
storm,  and  Mr.  Jones  shouted,  as  he  passed  down 
the  road,  "  Hard  frost  to-night !  " 

Then  indeed  we  bustled  around.  Mousie's  flowers 
were  carried  in,  the  Lima-bean  poles,  still  hanging  full 
of  green  pods  more  or  less  filled  out,  were  pulled  up 
and  stacked  together  under  a  tree,  some  tomato-vines, 
with  their  green  and  partially  ripe  fruit,  were  taken 
up  by  the  roots  and  hung  under  the  shed,  while  over 
some  other  vines  a  covering  was  thrown  towards 
night. 

"We  may  thus,  keep  a  supply  of  this  wholesome 
vegetable  some  weeks  longer,"  I  said. 

Everything  that  we  could  protect  was  looked  after ; 
but  our  main  task  was  the  gathering  of  all  the  grapes 
except  those  hanging  against  the  sides  of  the  house. 
These  I  believed  would  be  so  sheltered  as  to  escape 
injury.  We  had  been  enjoying  this  delicious  fruit 
for  some  time,  carrying  out  our  plan,  however,  of  re- 


AUTUMN   WORK  AND  SPORT.  28 1 

serving  the  best  for  the  market.  The  berries  on  the 
small  clusters  were  just  as  sweet  and  luscious,  and 
the  children  were  content. 

Sure  enough,  on  the  following  morning  white  hoar 
frost  covered  the  grass  and  leaves. 

"  No  matter,"  cried  Winnie,  at  the  breakfast-table  ; 
"the  chestnut  burrs  are  opening." 

By  frequent  stirring  the  rest  of  the  corn-fodder 
was  soon  dried  again,  and  was  stacked  like  the  rest. 
Then  we  took  up  the  beets  and  carrots,  and  stored 
them  also  in  the  root  cellar. 

We  had  frost  now  nearly  every  night,  and  many 
trees  were  gorgeous  in  their  various  hues,  while  oth 
ers,  like  the  butternuts,  were  already  losing  their 
foliage. 

The  days  were  filled  with  delight  for  the  children. 
The  younger  ones  were  up  with  the  sun  to  gather 
the  nuts  that  had  fallen  during  the  night,  Merton 
accompanying  them  with  his  gun,  bringing  in  squir 
rels  daily,  and  now  and  then  a  robin  shot  while  flying. 
His  chief  exploit  however  was  the  bagging  of  half  a 
dozen  quails  that  unwarily  chose  the  lower  part  of 
our  meadow  as  a  resort.  Then  he  and  Junior  took 
several  long  outings  in  the  Highlands,  with  fair  suc 
cess  ;  for  the  boys  had  become  decidedly  expert. 

"If  we  only  had  a  dog,"  said  Merton,  "we  could 
do  wonders." 

"  Both  of  you  save  your  money  next  summer,  and 
buy  one,"  I  replied  ;  "I'll  give  you  a  chance,  Merton." 

By  the  middle  of  the  month  the  weather  became 
dry  and  warm,  and  the  mountains  were  almost  hidden 
in  an  Indian  summer  haze. 


282  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

"Now  for  the  corn-husking,"  I  said,  "and  the 
planting  of  the  ground  in  raspberries,  and  then  we 
shall  be  through  with  our  chief  labors  for  the  year." 

Merton  helped  me  at  the  husking,  but  I  allowed 
him  to  keep  his  gun  near,  and  he  obtained  an  occa 
sional  shot  which  enlivened  his  toil.  Two  great  bins 
over  the  sty  and  poultry-house  received  the  yellow 
ears,  the  longest  and  fairest  being  stored  in  one,  and 
in  the  other  the  "nubbin's,"  speedily  to  be  trans 
formed  into  pork.  Part  of  the  stalks  were  tied  up 
and  put  in  the  old  "corn-stalk  barn,"  as  we  called  it, 
and  the  remainder  were  stacked  near.  Our  cow  cer 
tainly  was  provided  for. 

Brindle  now  gave  too  little  milk  for  our  purpose, 
whereas  a  farmer  with  plenty  of  fodder  could  keep 
her  over  the  winter  to  advantage.  I  traded  her  off  to 
a  neighboring  farmer  for  a  new  milch  cow,  and  paid 
twenty  dollars  to  boot.  We  were  all  great  milk- 
topers,  while  the  cream  nearly  supplied  us  with 
butter. 

Having  removed  the  corn,  Mr.  Jones  ploughed  the 
field  deeply,  and  then  Merton  and  I  set  out  the  vari 
eties  of  raspberries  which  promised  best  in  our  lo 
cality,  making  the  hills  four  feet  apart  in  the  row, 
and  the  rows  five  feet  from  one  another.  I  followed 
the  instructions  of  my  fruit  book  closely,  and  cut 
back  the  canes  of  the  plants  to  six  inches,  and  sunk 
the  roots  so  deep  as  to  leave  about  four  inches  of 
soil  above  them,  putting  two  or  three  plants  in  the 
hill.  Then  over  and  about  the  hills  we  put  on  the 
surface  of  the  ground  two  shovelfuls  of  compost, 
finally  covering  the  plants  beneath  a  slight  mound  of 


AUTUMN  WORK  AND  SPORT.  28* 

earth.     This  would  protect   them  from  the  severe 
frost  of  winter. 

These  labors  and  the  final  picking  of  the  apples 
brought  us  to  the  last  week  of  the  month.  Of  the 
smaller  fruit,  kept  clean  and  sound  for  the  purpose, 
we  reserved  enough  to  make  two  barrels  of  cider,  of 
which  one  should  go  into  vinegar,  and  the  other  be 
kept  sweet,  for  our  nut-crackings  around  the  winter 
fire.  Bobsey's  dream  of  "  millions  of  bushels "  of 
nuts  had  not  been  realized,  yet  enough  had  been 
dried  and  stored  away  to  satisfy  even  his  eyes.  Not 
far  away  an  old  cider-mill  was  running  steadily,  and 
we  soon  had  the  barrels  of  russet  nectar  in  our  cellar. 
Then  came  Saturday,  and  Merton  and  Junior  were 
given  one  more  day's  outing  in  the  mountains  with 
their  guns.  On  the  following  Monday  they  trudged 
off  to  the  nearest  public  school,  feeling  that  they  had 
been  treated  liberally,  and  that  brain-work  must  now 
begin  in  earnest.  Indeed  from  this  time  forth,  for 
months  to  come,  school  and  lessons  took  precedence 
of  everything  else,  and  the  proper  growing  of  boys 
and  girls  was  the  uppermost  thought. 


284  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  £DEJV. 


CHAPTER   XLIII. 

THANKSGIVING   DAY. 

"X  TOVEMBER  weather  was  occasionally  so  blus- 
1  ^1  tering  and  stormy  that  I  turned  schoolmaster 
in  part,  to  relieve  my  wife.  During  the  month,  how. 
ever,  were  bright,  genial  days,  and  others  softened 
by  a  smoky  haze,  which  gave  me  opportunity  to 
gather  and  store  a  large  crop  of  turnips,  to  trench  in 
my  celery  on  a  dry  Knoll,  and  to  bury,  with  their 
heads  downward,  all  the  cabbages  for  which  I  could 
not  find  a  good  market.  The  children  still  gave  me 
some  assistance,  but,  lessons  over,  they  were  usually 
permitted  to  amuse  themselves  in  their  own  way. 
Winnie,  however,  did  not  lose  her  interest  in  the 
poultry,  and  Merton  regularly  aided  in  the  care  of 
the  stock  and  in  looking  after  the  evening  supply  of 
fire-wood.  I  also  spent  a  part  of  my  time  in  the 
wood  lot,  but  the  main  labor  there  was  reserved 
(or  December.  The  chief  task  of  the  month  was 
the  laying  down  and  covering  of  the  tender  rasp 
berries  ;  and  in  this  labor  Bagley  again  gave  me 
his  aid. 

Thanksgiving  Day  was  celebrated  with  due  observ 
ance.     In   the   morning    we   all    heard    Dr.    Lyman 


THANKSGIVING  DAY.  285 

preach,  and  came  home  with  the  feeling  that  we  and 
the  country  at  large  were  prosperous.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jones,  with  Junior,  dined  with  us  in  great  state,  and 
we  had  our  first  four-course  dinner  since  arriving  in 
Maizeville,  and  at  the  fashionable  hour  of  six  in  the 
evening.  I  had  protested  against  my  wife's  purpose 
of  staying  at  home  in  the  morning,  saying  we  would 
"browse  around  during  the  day  and  get  up  appetites, 
while  in  the  afternoon  we  could  all  turn  cooks  and 
help  her."  Merton  was  except ed,  and,  after  devour 
ing  a  hasty  cold  lunch,  he  and  Junior  were  off  with 
their  guns.  As  for  Bobsey,  he  appeared  to  browse 
steadily  after  church,  but  seemed  in  no  wise  to  have 
exhausted  his  capacity  when  at  last  he  attacked  his 
soup,  turkey  drum-stick,  and  the  climax  of  a  pud 
ding.  Our  feast  was  a  very  informal  affair,  seasoned 
with  mirth  and  sauced  with  hunger.  The  viands, 
however,  under  my  wife's  skill,  would  compare  with 
any  eaten  in  the  great  city,  which  we  never  once  had 
regretted  leaving.  Winifred  looked  after  the  trans 
fers  from  the  kitchen  at  critical  moments,  while 
Mousie  and  Winnie  were  our  waitresses.  A  royal 
blaze  crackled  in  the  open  fireplace,  and  seemed  to 
share  in  the  sparkle  of  our  rustic  wit  and  unforced 
mirth,  which  kept  plump  Mrs.  Jones  in  a  perpetual 
quiver,  like  a  form  of  jelly. 

Her  husband  came  out  strong  in  his  comical  r£- 
sumt  of  the  past  year's  experience,  concluding : 
"Well,  we  owe  you  and  Mrs.  Durham  a  vote  of 
thanks  for  reforming  the  Bagley  tribe.  That  ap 
pears  to  me  an  orthodox  case  of  convarsion.  First 
we  gave  him  the  terrors  of  the  law.  Tell  yer  what 


2«S6  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN- 

it  is,  we  was  a-smokin'  in  wrath  around  him  that 
mornin',  like  Mount  Sinai,  and  you  had  the  sense  to 
bring,  in  the  nick  of  time,  the  gospel  of  givin'  a 
feller  a  chance.  It's  the  best  gospel  there  is,  I 
reckon." 

"Well,"  I  replied,  becoming  thoughtful  for  a  mo 
ment  with  boyish  memories,  "my  good  old  mother 
taught  me  that  it  was  God's  plan  to  give  us  a  chance, 
and  help  us  make  the  most  of  it." 

"I  remembered  the  Bagleys  to-day,"  Mrs.  Jones 
remarked,  nodding  to  my  wife.  "  We  felt  they  ought 
to  be  encouraged." 

"So  did  we,"  my  wife  replied,  sotto  voce. 

We  afterwards  learned  that  the  Bagleys  had  been 
provisioned  for  nearly  a  month  by  the  good-will  of 
neighbors,  who,  a  short  time  since,  had  been  ready 
to  take  up  arms  against  them. 

By  eight  o'clock  everything  was  cleared  away, 
Mrs.  Jones  assisting  my  wife,  and  showing  that  she 
would  be  hurt  if  not  permitted  to  do  so.  Then  we 
all  gathered  around  the  glowing  hearth,  Junior's  rat- 
a-tat-snap  !  proving  that  our  final  course  of  nuts  and 
cider  would  be  provided  in  the  usual  way. 

How  homely  it  all  was  !  how  free  from  any  attempt 
at  display  of  style  !  yet  equally  free  from  any  trace 
of  vulgarity  or  ill-natured  gossip.  Mousie  had  added 
grace  to  the  banquet  with  her  blooming  plants  and 
dried  grasses  ;  and,  although  the  dishes  had  been  set 
on  the  table  by  my  wife's  and  children's  hands,  they 
were  daintily  ornamented  and  inviting.  All  had 
been  within  our  means  and  accomplished  by  our- 


THANKSGIVING 


selves  ;  and  the  following  morning  brought  no  re 
gretful  thoughts.  Our  helpful  friends  went  home* 
feeling  that  they  had  not  bestowed  their  kindness  on 
unthankful  people  whose  scheme  of  life  was  to  get 
and  take,  but  not  to  return. 


288  DRIVEN  BACK  TO 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

WE   CAN    MAKE   A    LIVING    IN    EDEN. 

WELL,  our  first  year  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
The  ist  of  December  was  celebrated  by  an 
event  no  less  momentous  than  the  killing  of  our  pigs, 
to  Winnie's  and  Bobsey's  intense  excitement.  In 
this  affair  my  wife  and  I  were  almost  helpless,  but 
Mr.  Jones  and  Bagley  were  on  hand,  and  proved 
themselves  veterans,  while  Mrs.  Jones  stood  by  my 
wife  until  the  dressed  animals  were  transformed  into 
souse,  head-cheese,  sausage,  and  well  salted  pork. 
The  children  feasted  and  exulted  through  all  the  pro 
cesses,  especially  enjoying  some  sweet  spareribs. 

I  next  gave  all  my  attention,  when  the  weather 
permitted,  to  the  proper  winter  covering  of  all  the 
strawberries,  and  to  the  cutting  and  carting  home  of 
old  and  dying  trees  from  the  wood  lot. 

The  increasing  cold  brought  new  and  welcome 
pleasures  to  the  children.  There  was  ice  on  the 
neighboring  ponds,  and  skates  were  bought  as  pre 
mature  Christmas  presents.  The  same  was  true  of 
sleds  after  the  first  fall  of  snow.  This  white  cover 
ing  of  the  earth  enabled  Merton  and  Junior  to  track 
some  rabbits  in  the  vicinity,  which  thus  far  had 
eluded  their  search. 


WE   CAN  MAKE   A   LIVING   IN  EDEN.         289 

By  the  middle  of  the  month  we  realized  that  win 
ter  had  begun  in  all  -its  rather  stern  reality  ;  but  we 
were  sheltered  and  provided  for.  We  had  so  far  imi 
tated  the  ants  that  we  had  abundant  stores  until  the 
earth  should  again  yield  its  bounty. 

Christmas  brought  us  more  than  its  wonted  joy, 
and  a  better  fulfilment  of  the  hopes  and  anticipa 
tions  which  we  had  cherished  on  the  same  day  of 
the  previous  year.  We  were  far  from  regretting  our 
flight  to  the  country,  although  it  had  involved  us  in 
hard  toil  and  many  anxieties.  My  wife  was  greatly 
pleased  by  my  many  hours  of  rest  at  the  fireside  in 
her  companionship,  caused  by  days  too  cold  and 
wintry  for  outdoor  work ;  but  our  deepest  and  most 
abiding  content  was  expressed  one  evening  as  we  sat 
alone  after  the  children  were  asleep. 

"  You  have  solved  the  problem,  Robert,  that  was 
worrying  you.  There  is  space  here  for  the  children 
to  grow,  and  the  Daggetts  and  the  Ricketts  and  all 
their  kind  are  not  so  near  as  to  make  them  grow 
wrong,  almost  in  spite  of  us.  A  year  ago  we  felt 
that  we  were  virtually  being  driven  to  the  country. 
I  now  feel  as  if  we  had  been  led  by  a  kindly  and 
divine  hand." 

I  had  given  much  attention  to  my  account-book  of 
late,  and  had  said,  "  On  New  Year's  morning  I  will 
tell  you  all  the  result  of  our  first  year's  effort." 

At  breakfast,  after  our  greetings  and  good  wishes 
ior  the  New  Year,  all  looked  expectantly  at  me  as  I 
opened  our  financial  record.  Carefully  and  clearly 
as  possible,  so  that  even  Winnie  might  understand 
in  part,  I  went  over  the  different  items,  and  the  ex- 


290  DRIVEN  BACK  TO  EDEN. 

pense  and  proceeds  of  the  different  crops,  so  far  as  I 
was  able  to  separate  them.  Bobsey's  attention  soon 
wandered,  for  he  had  an  abiding  faith  that  breakfast, 
dinner,  and  supper  would  follow  the  sun,  and  that 
was  enough  for  him.  But  the  other  children  were 
pleased  with  my  confidence,  and  tried  to  understand 
me. 

"To  sum  up  everything,"  I  said,  finally,  "we  have 
do^ne,  by  working  all  together,  what  I  alone  should 
probably  have  accomplished  in  the  city,  —  we  have 
made  our  living.  I  have  also  taken  an  inventory  or 
an  account  of  stock  on  hand  and  paid  for ;  that  is,  I 
have  here  a  list  on  which  are  named  the  horse,  wagon, 
harness,  cow,  crates  and  baskets,  tools,  poultry,  and 
pigs.  These  things  are  paid  for,  and  we  are  so  much 
ahead.  Now,  children,  which  is  better,  a  living  in 
the  city,  I  earning  it  for  you  all?  or  a  living  in 
the  country  toward  which  even  Bobsey  can  do  his 
share?" 

"A  living  in  the  country,"  was  the  prompt  chorus. 
"  There  is  something  here  for  a  fellow  to  do  without 
being  nagged  by  a  policeman,"  Merton  added. 

"Well,  children,  mamma  and  I  agree  with  you. 
What's  more,  there  wasn't  much  chance  for  me  to 
get  ahead  in  the  city,  or  earn  a  large  salary.  Here, 
by  pulling  all  together,  there  is  almost  a  certainty  of 
our  earning  more  than  a  bare  living,  and  of  laying 
up  something  for  a  rainy  day.  The  chief  item  of 
profit  from  our  farm,  however,  is  not  down  in  my 
account-book,  but  we  see  it  in  your  sturdier  forms 
and  in  Mousie's  red  cheeks.  More  than  all,  we  be- 


WE    CAN  MAKE  A   LIVING  IN  EDEN.         29 1 

lieve  that  you  are  better  and  healthier  at  heart  than 
you  were  a  year  ago. 

"  Now  for  the  New  Year.  Let  us  make  the  best 
and  most  of  it,  and  ask  God  to  help  us." 

And  so  my  simple  history  ends  in  glad  content 
and  hope. 


. 


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